LINCOLN
AND SALEM
PIONEERS
MASON
AND
MENARD
COUNTIES
T»G'ONSTOT
"LI B R.AR.Y
OF THE.
U N IVERS ITY
OF ILLINOIS
r>
HISTORICAL SURVEY
T. G. ONSTOT
PIONEERS
OF
COUNTIES
MADE UP OF PERSONAL REMINISCENSES OF AN EARLY LIFE IN
MENARD COUNTY, WHICH WE GATHERED IN A SALEM LIFE
FROM 1830 TO 1840, AND A PETERSBURG LIFE FROM
1840 TO 1850; INCLUDING PERSONAL REMINISCENCES
OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND PETER CARTRIGHT.
T. G. ONSTOT
1902: •
PUBLISHED BY T. G. ONSTOT, FOREST CITY, ILLINOIS.
PRINTED BY J. W. FRANKS & SONS,
PEORIA, ILLINOIS.
Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1902, by
T. G. ONSTOT,
in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D, C.
, .r 77 355 .
I n
THIS BOOK
IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED TO
SUSAN EMMA ONSTOT
BY HER FATHER
T. G. ONSTOT, FOREST CITY, ILL.
Index
SALUTATORY 12
INTRODUCTORY 13
CHAPTER I.
Reminiscences of Lincoln 17
CHAPTER II.
His First Love 22
His Second Love 24
Lincoln's Third Love 30
Lincoln's Marriage 33
CHAPTER III.
From Flat Boat to White House 38
Shirt Sleeve Court in the Corn Field 41
Lincoln Attends a Circus 46
President Lincoln's First Dollar 51
CHAPTER IV.
Lincoln at Salem « 53
Lincoln as a Lawyer, on Horseback 58
Lincoln's Appearance 63
As a Lawyer 65
How He Traded Horses 66
He Preferred Grant's Whisky 66
Lincoln's Apt Reply 67
CHAPTER V.
Ross and Lincoln 68
Anecdotes of Lincoln 71
Lincoln's Early Life 75
CHAPTER VI.
Lincoln's Old Home 79
How Lincoln Cured Charles Revis from Swearing 85
Lincoln as Postmaster at Salem 87
Biographical Note of Lincoln 90
CHAPTER VII.
Lincoln's Religious Belief 92
Abe Lincoln and Slicky Bill Green 95
Trial of Duff Armstrong 98
Duff Armstrong's Statement. 100
CHAPTER VIII.
The Backwoods Preacher 103
Birth of Cartright 103
Judge of Human Nature 107
Cartright at a Dance 108
A Fatal Accident no
CHAPTER IX.
Anecdotes of Cartright in
Cartright's Appearance 113
CHAPTER X.
Riding His Circuit 115
Cartright gets a little Boozy 117
Capacity for Work 118
CHAPTER XI.
The Baptists 121
The Campbellites 123
The Presbyterians -124
Methodist Church 124
Old Fashioned Camp-Meeting 125
Peter Cartright's Tomb 128
CHAPTER XII.
Menard County 131
Stories of Pioneer Days 134
The Cold Day in 1837 136
CHAPTEJR XIII.
The Green Family 138
A Pioneer Gone 141
The Watkins Family 142
CHAPTER XIV.
Old Salem on the Hill 148
The West End of Salem 152
Old Salem Under the Hill 155
CHAPTER XV.
Old Settler's Day 160
The Founders of Petersburg 165
A Trip to Petersburg 166
In Memoriam 168
CHAPTER XVI.
History of Petersburg Sixty Years Ago 170
CHAPTER XVII.
Early Times in the Capital of Menard 178
Petersburg in the Forties 184
Old Fashioned Barbecues > 189
CHAPTER XVIII.
Recollections of Presidential Campaigns. 192
Fish at Salem Dam 195
My First Pair of Boots. 196
The Old Schoolhouse on the Hill 198
A Deer Hunt 199
George Kirby of Sandridge 200
CHAPTER XIX.
Old Time Stories 203
Judge Joseph H. Pillsbury 206
CHAPTER XX.
Reminiscences of Menard County 208
Early Settlements 211
Lincoln and the Bull 216
CHAPTER XXI.
Anecdotes of Menard 217
CHAPTER XXII.
Navigation of the Sangamon 222
Warlike Spirit of Menard County 223
Some Early Settlers 226
CHAPTER XXIII.
City of Petersburg : 239
Athens 245
A Letter from H. L. Ross 246
CHAPTER XXIV.
History of Mason County 253
CHAPTER XXV.
Havana Township 260
City of Havana 264
CHAPTER XXVI.
Bath Township 267
The County Seat Question 275
CHAPTER XXVII.
Lynchburg Township 278
CHAPTER XXVIII.
•Quiver Township 283
CHAPTER XXIX.
Forest City Township '. 289
CHAPTER XXX.
Manito Township : 294
The Allwood Tragedy 301
Village of Manito 302
CHAPTER XXXI.
Allen's Grove Township 305
Village of San Jose 309
CHAPTER XXXII.
Pennsylvania Township 311
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Sherman Township 316
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Mason City Township 321
City Public Schools 327
Religious Societies 327
CHAPTER XXXV.
Kilbourne Township 33 1
Village of Kilbourne 336
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Crane Creek Township 338.
Walker's Grove 342
Religious Services 343
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Salt Creek 345
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Henry Onstot 351
The Old Home 353
Sand Burrs 355
CHAPTER XXXIX.
Pen Picture of Col. John E. Neikirk 357
Reverdy J. Onstot 360
A Hustler 361
CHAPTER XL.
The Early Settlement of Havana 365
An Indian Battle at Havana 368
CHAPTER XLI.
The Old Havana Hotel 373
The Early Settlement of Mason County 377
Spring Lake 379
CHAPTER XLII.
Havana from 1845 to I^o .................................. 384
The Churches ............................................. 387
Robert McReynolds ........................................ 390
The Howell Family ........................................ 392
Other Old Settlers ........................................ 392
CHAPTER XLIII.
Dr. Charles Newton ....................................... 395
The Old and the New .................................... 397
Riverside Park ............................................ 399
Cist of Illustrations
T. G. Onstot Frontispiece
Abraham Lincoln 17
Lincoln's Residence at Springfield, Illinois 31
Lincoln's Monument at Springfield, Illinois 47
Lincoln's Old Home at Salem, Illinois 62
"The Three Graces" 84
Peter Cartright 102
Plat of Salem in 1837 J46
Judge Joseph H. Pillsbury 206
Harvey Lee Ross 247
SALUTATORY.
When first I took my pen in hand
This for to write, I did not understand
That I at all should make a book.
In more than twenty things I set down,
This done I had twenty more in my crown;
And they began to multiply
Like the sparks that from the coals do fly.
Well, so I did, but yet did not think
To show to all the world my pen and ink;
In such a mode I only thought to make,
I knew not what, nor did I undertake
Thereby to please by neighbor; no, not I;
I did it mine ownself to gratify.
Thus I set pen to paper with delight,
And quickly had my thoughts in black and white.
For, having now my methods by the end,
Still as I pulled it came, and so I penned
It down until at last it came to be
For length and breadth and thickness as you see.
Well, when I put my ends together
I showed them to others that I might see whether
They would condemn them or them justify —
Some said let them live, some let them die;
Some said print it, T. G., others said no;
Some it might do good, others said not so.
Now I was in a strait and did not see
What was the best thing for me to do;
At last I thought since you are thus divided,
I print it will and so the case was decided.
INTRODUCTORY.
We make no apology in appearing before the public as.
a literary crank. When we first began to publish these let-
ters in the papers a few years ago we little thought to have
them in book form. Like Harriett Beecher Stowe, whert
writing the letters that finally crystallized into "Uncle Tom's
Cabin," we wrote as the spirit moved. Our Menard county
friends insisted that these old-time reminiscences be put in
shape by one who had lived through the formation period —
should connect the past. One who had lived under the old
dispensation should hand down to those who live under the
new dispensation the pioneer life of their ancestors ; and they
insist more strongly because the old pioneers are passing"
away and a few more fleeting years and they will all be
gone. We were born in Sugar Grove, in 1829, and being"
blessed with a retentive memory know as much of the early
settlers of Menard and Mason, as any man now living. In
our early boyhood the Indian yell was still heard along the
bluffs of Salt Creek.
We have lived to see this country grow to be intelligent,
educated and refined. All of the useful inventions of today
have been perfected in our time. The present generation
knows but little of what its fathers had to contend with. We
acknowledge obligations to Harvey L. Ross of Oakland,
California, for many events in the Salem life of Abraham-
Lincoln. He carried the mail on horseback from Lewis-
town to Springfield when Salem was the only town between
Havana and Springfield, and was probably better acquainted
with him than any man living.
We are also indebted to General Ruggles for dates to-
many of the Mason county incidents, and to R. D. Miller
for dates to many Menard county occurrences. We obtained
their permission to do this.
There was a Menard and Mason county write-up about
twenty years ago, but it was expensive and but few bought
it and not one in fifty ever read it. This book sold for $8.
Later a history of Mason and Tazewell counties was gotten
up that sold for $15, which put it out of the reach of com-
mon people. Our book, at the price of $2.50, condenses the
facts and incidents of the pioneers and supplies the place of
both for a small sum of money.
The Salem life of Abraham Lincoln is well worth the
price of the book. There may be some mistakes in the book
but in the main we believe it to be correct. We have been
in no hurry in writing the book; it has been three years in
preparation.
We have counted Abraham Lincoln as one of Menard's
early pioneers, as it was here he lived during his formative
period of life, and it was here that Peter Cartright would
often come while he was in political life. These two celeb-
rities ought to give Salem a name to live in future genera-
tions; so we send this volume out to all classes. The old
will read what the pioneers did for the upbuilding of this
country; the young will read it although some parts may
seem like romance.
OP
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Reminiscences of Cincoln
CHAPTER I.
N 1832 a large territory of land, known as the
Black Hawk purchase, embrating the state of
Iowa, was opened for settlement, and the tide
of emigration set out that way.
In our earliest recollection, Iowa was the terminus of
emigration, and when a man had cattle or milch cows for sale
he drove them to the mines, which were adjacent. It was
the only market. Some misunderstanding occurred and
Black Hawk refused to vacate, the settlers were at the mercy
of the Indian warriors. Volunteers were called for. As the
requisite number did not answer, the call for a draft was
ordered, and my father was drafted. Lincoln was the cap-
tain of a company. As my father had a family of small
children, and could not well go, he hired a substitute, a
young man who had come to Salem at that time by the name
of John Hillis, who agreed to go in his place, my father
-giving him thirty dollars and his rifle. Lincoln's company
left for the scene of action but never saw any Indians, as
the dispute was settled and Black Hawk left the country.
Thus ended Lincoln's military career, till by virtue of his
authority as president, he was commander-in-chief of the
army of the United States. We will now relate Lincoln's
duel with James Shields. Shields was an Irishman, nervous
i8 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
and fidgety. The trouble was in 1842. A piece of poetry
appeared in the Springfield Journal, which was rather per-
sonal and sarcastic on Shields, who was a bachelor. He
swore vengeance on the unknown writer, who was known
by Lincoln to be a lady of high standing. Shields grew more
war-like, but could not find out who the author was. Lin
coin, in a peculiar way, sent word to Shields that he was
the man. Lincoln was attending court at Tremont at the
time when he received a challenge from Shields who de-
manded satisfaction or blood.
Abe accepted the challenge for a duel and chose for
weapons, broad swords, which were about the length and
size of a mowing scythe. Shields protested against the
weapons as not being fair, as he was of small stature, and his
opponent had double the reach, but Lincoln had the choice
of weapons, according to the code of dueling. There was an
island opposite St. Louis and Illinois that was not supposed
to belong to either, and here in early days many a bloody
conflict took place and the principals were secure from ar-
rest, qnd well had it earned the name of Bloody Island.
From Springfield to this historical spot was one hundred
miles and the only means of conveyance was the overland
route and two days were required for the journey. Both men
and their friends started on the journey at the same time.
Abe employed his time while waiting for Shields with his
coat off, trimming up the under-brush and humming "Yan-
kee Doodle." In a short time the other parties arrived and
their mutual friends began to arrange for the conflict.
Thanks to our advanced civilization, the "barbarous
code" is no longer tolerated and the man who refuses a chal-
lenge is a braver man than the one who sends it. The
Yankee way is to argue the man out of it and "he who runs
away may live to fight another day." After the belligerents
had left Springfield, John J. Hardin, of Jacksonville, one
of the grandest men of Illinois, hearing of the circum-
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 19
stances, determined to prevent the carrying out of the pro-
g-ram, and though they had several hours the start, and he
had an equal distance to travel, set out for the race. But
there was a road from Jacksonville, "a good broad highway
leading down, and, there through the flush of morning light,
as still and black as the steeds of night, was -seen to pass,
as with an eagle's flight, as if he knew the terrible need, he
stretched away with the utmost speed." Before he finished
the journey, his horse gave out and he procured another.
"The heart of the master, the heart of the steed, were beating
like prisoners assaulting their walls impatient to be where
the battle field calls." Every nerve of the charger was
strained to full play. Arriving on the ground just as the
combatants were getting ready for battle, Hardin rushed
in between them, and by curses compelled them to make
friends and go home and not make such fools of themselves.
Lincoln and Shields shook hands over the bloody chasm and
were friends ever afterward.
The suspense at Petersburg where I then lived, was
intense. There were no railroads, telegraphs or telephone,
and it was three days before we were informed of the happy
termination of the affair. There was only one opinion as to
what the termination would have been had the affair pro-
ceeded. Lincoln, by his superior skill and strength, would
have disarmed his opponent. Shields rose to distinction,
and was shot through the breast in the Mexican war and
left for dead, but recovered and became a prominent poli-
tician in Illinois, went to the United States Senate, then
went to Missouri where he was again elected to the senate,
then to California where he was again sent to the senate.
Thus he was senator from three states, and didn't have to
buy his seat either as senators have to do now. Where was
Lincoln's great power some may ask? It was because he
was a man of the people. The common people from which
2O REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
he sprang ; he always had their interest at heart and be-
lieved that this was a government of the people, and by the
people. Though a lawyer by profession he never encour-
aged neighbors to spend their time and money in litiga-
tion. We were shown a letter by Ida Ball, of Menard
county, where Mr. Bates had retained the services of Mr.
Lincoln in a case against Mr. Hiccox about some wheat in
which Lincoln wrote Bates: "I think if you would see
Mr. Hiccox and have a talk with him you could fix this
business up, which would be better than to have a lawsuit
about it." How many lawyers in Petersburg would have
given such advice, and yet this was his way of doing, "fix it
up yourselves." In his debate with Douglas, Lincoln al-
ways had the advantage, and his arguments led to liberty,
and Douglas always led to human bondage. Human bon-
dage could never be eulogized, it never could be sung while
liberty and freedom has been sung by poets and bards since
creation. Ever since the morning stars sang together.
Lincoln, as a surveyor, as we recollect, did most of his
work north of Petersburg, though Sangamon county ran
to the Illinois river, and the north part of Mason county was
in Tazewell county. He laid out the town of Bath. We
never heard of any of his work but what gave satisfaction.
My brother, R. J. Onstot, of Mason City, has a plat of
Huron, a town at Miller's ferry on the Sangamon river.
The land was bought by a syndicate before Menard county
was laid out and was held for a county seat. The plat is
in good shape, the blocks run north and south. My brother
values it very much, as it is Lincoln's own hand-writing.
There was a town not far from Bill Smoot's by the name
of New Market but these towns were only on paper, and
when the county seat was located, the land upon which
no new homes had been built were again used for farming.
I well recall when the committee, which was appointed to
locate, came through Salem, a large crowd following, there
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 21
were twenty-five or thirty men or horseback, the only way
men traveled then, with about a dozen dogs following.
They stopped before my father's shop and listened to sug-
gestions, but I think from the start they had made up their
minds to locate the county house at Petersburg. When
Mason county was laid out, little Menard was then about
twenty miles square and Petersburg was in the center.
Lincoln's wonderful eloquence has never been sur-
passed. His Gettysburg speech has never been equalled, and
it will go down to the coming generations as a model with-
out a peer. When he wrote it he handed it to Seward,
who looked it over and began to suggest errors and did
not think it worthy of a state paper. Seward would have
written five times as much, and not express one-half the
meaning. His Cooper Institute speech was made before
the most critical audience that ever assembled to hear a
man speak. Lincoln was at first a little diffident but soon
forgot his humble origin, and taking for his text : "Our
fathers, when they founded the government, under which
we live, understood this question just as well and even
better than we did." After his speech he was warmly con
gratulated and the speech made him president. The western
man without fame, was at once placed at the head of living
statesmen which place he retained until the hour of his
tragic death.
CHAPTER II.
HIS FIRST LOV£
T THE time Mr. Lincoln boarded at the Rut-
ledge tavern, Harvey Ross also put up there as
often as he passed through Salem. It was a
hewn log house, two stories high, with four
rooms above and four below. It had two chimneys
with a large fire place, and not a stove in the house. The
proprietor was James Rutledgera man of more than or-
dinary ability, and with his wife kind and hospitable. They
had a large family of eight or nine children, and among
them their daughter, Anna, celebrated in song and story as
-Lincoln's sweetheart. She was several years younger than
Lincoln, of medium size, weighing 125 pounds and had
flaxen hair. She was handsome and attractive, as well as
industrious and sweet spirited. It was seldom that she was
not engaged in some occupation — knitting, sewing or wait-
ing on the table. I think she did the sewing for the family.
Lincoln was boarding at the tavern, and fell deeply in love
with the gentle Annie, and she was no less in love with
him. They were engaged to be married but had been put-
ting the wedding off for awhile as he wanted to accumulate
a little more property, and she wished to attend school a
while longer. Before the time had arrived when they were
to be married, Miss Annie was taken down with typhoid
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 23
fever, and lay dangerously sick for four weeks. Lincoln
was an anxious and constant watcher at her bedside. The
sickness ended in death, and young Lincoln was heart broken
and prostrated. The histories have not exaggerated his
pitiful grief, for he was not able to attend to business for
quite awhile. I think his whole soul was wrapped up in
that lovely girl. It was his first love, the holiest thing in
life, the love that cannot die. The deepest gloom settled over
his mind. He would often say to his friends, "My heart is
buried in the grave with that dear girl." He would often
go and sit by her grave and read from a little pocket testa-
ment which he carried with him. What he read I know not.
but I'll warrant you it was, "Let not your heart be troubled,"
or John's vision on the Isle of Patmos with Anna among
the white robed throng, where sickness, sorrow, pain and
death are feared no more; where death is unknown. One
stormy night he was at the house of a friend, and as rain and
sleet came down on the roof he sat with bowed head and
tears trickling do\vn his cheeks. His friends begged him
to control his grief. "I cannot," said he, "while storm and
darkness are on her grave."
Anna Rutledge was of gentle blood and would have
made him a noble wife in his humble years and in the im-
perial later life.
David Rutledge, a brother of Anna, took a course at
Jacksonville college, and then went to Lewistown and studied
law in the office of L. W. Ross and Jno. T Boice. He af-
terwards married Miss Elizabeth Simms, and moved to
Petersburg and opened up a law office. He was a bright
and promising young lawyer, and no doubt would have made
his mark but for his untimely death. He was buried by the
side of his sister in the cemetery. His widow married C. \Y.
Andrus, a prominent merchant of Havana.
The Rutledge family stood high in the country. Anna's
father was a South Carolinian of high birth. One of his
24 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
ancestors signed the Declaration of Independence. Another
was chief justice of the Supreme Court under Washington's
appointment. A third was a conspicuous leader in congress.
So Lincoln's boyhood love was of a high and gentle birth.
HIS SECOND LOVE
One year after the sad death of Anna Rutledge, Mr.
Lincoln again fell in love. Miss Mary Owens was his second
sweetheart. She came from Kentucky to visit her sister,
Mrs. Bennett Able, who lived just north of Salem. In many
respects she was very different from Anna Rutledge. She
was older and larger. She was finely educated and had been
brought up in the most refined society, and she dressed much
finer than any lady who lived about New Salem. Her
fashionable silk dress was in striking contrast with the calico
dress, calf skin shoes and straw bonnet that Anna had worn
She was in the habit of making frequent visits to the post-
office for letters from her Kentucky home, and that was
where Lincoln first became acquainted with her. It was
not long until he became a frequent visitor at her sister's
home, and these visits continued until her return to Ken-
tucky. It became the gossip of the neighborhood that they
were to be married. When the gossip was repeated to Lin-
coln by a friend he replied, "If ever that girl comes back to
New Salem I am going to marry her." In about three years
Miss Mary did return, but Lincoln did not marry her, and
I presume the readers will want to know the secret of it
all. They did not agree, and she would not consent to the
marriage. On this point Miss Mary is reported to have said
that there \vere many things she liked and other things she
did not like, and the things she did not like overbalanced
the things she did like. "I could not help admire Mr.
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 25
Lincoln," she said, "for his honesty, truthfulness and good-
ness of heart, but I think he was a little too presumptuous
when he told his friend that if I ever came back to New
Salem he was going to marry me. That is a bargain that
it takes two to make, and then his training and bringing up
has been so different from my own, and his uncouth be-
havior was most disagreeable. He was lacking in those little
links which make up the chain of a woman's happiness.
At least that was my judgment. He was not the ideal hus-
band that I had pictured to myself that I could love. He
asked me to become his wife; I told him no."
In our next we will give Mr. Lincoln's side of the story.
He had a lady friend whom he confided in and advised with
in many of his private affairs. She had learned that he
was engaged to Miss Mary and that the engagement was
broken off, and she wanted to know the cause. So he wrote
her a letter and it is presumed he did not expect the letter
to go out of her possession unless it went into the fire, but
as time went on it did get out of her hands.
'After James Rutledge moved out of the log tavern my
father, Henry Onstott, moved in and occupied it from 1833
till 1835, and still had for a boarder Abraham Lincoln.
It was at this time that my early impressions of him were
formed. We did not know at that time that we were enter-
taining an angel unawares. My first knowledge of him was
as a great marble player. He kept us small boys running
in all directions gathering up the marbles he would scatter.
During this time he followed surveying, having learned in
six weeks from books furnished him by John Calhoun, of
Springfield. About this time he commenced to read some
law book which he borrowed of Bowling Green, who lived
one-half mile north of Salem. I think my father and
Esquire Green did more than any other two men in deter-
mining Lincoln's future destiny. Green died in 1844 before
Lincoln developed future greatness, while my father lived to
26 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
see him at his zenith, and his sun go down undimmed, and
a whole nation of mourners around his bier.
After the refusal of Mary Owens to marry Lincoln a
lady friend knowing the circumstances wrote to Mr. Lincoln
to ascertain the reason of the refusal, to which he replied :
"Springfield, 111., April i, 1838. — Dear Madam: — It was
in the autumn of 1836 that a married lady, Mrs. Bennett
Able, of my acquaintance, who was a great friend of mine,
being about to pay her father a visit in Kentucky, proposed
to me that on her return she would bring a sister of her's
back with her on condition that I would become her brother-
in-law. With all convenient dispatch I of course accepted
the proposal, for you know7 I would not have done otherwise
had I been averse to it, but between you and me I was most
confoundedly well pleased with the project. I had seen her
sister some years before and thought her agreeable and in-
telligent and sa\v no good reason and no objection to plod-
ding along through life hand to hand with her. Time
passed. The lady took her journey in clue time and returned,
her sister in company with her. This astonished me a little
for it appeared to me that her coming so readily showed that
she was a trifle too willing, but on reflection it occurred to v
me that she might have been prevailed upon by her married
sister to come without anything concerning me ever having
been mentioned to her, so I concluded that if no other ob-
jection presented itself I would consent to the plan. All
this occurred to me on hearing of her arrival in the neigh-
borhood for be it remembered that I had not seen her except
about three years previous as above mentioned. In a few
days we had an interview and although I had seen her be-
fore she did not look as my imagination had pictured her.
I knew she was over size, but she now appeared a match for
'Falstaff.' I knew she was called an old maid and I felt the
truth of one-half the application, but now when I beheld
her I could not help thinking of my mother, and this not
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 27
from her withered features for her skin was too full of fat
to permit it to wrinkle, but from her want of teeth and
weatherbeaten appearance in general and from a kind of
a notion that ran in my head that nothing could have com-
menced in infancy and reached her present • bulk in less
than thirty-five or forty years. In short I was not we'll
pleased with her, but what could I do. I told her sister I
would take her for better or worse and made it a point of
honor in all things to stick to my word, especially if others
had been induced to act on it, which in this case I had no
doubt they had. I was now convinced that no other man on
earth would have her and hence they were bent on holding
me to the bargain. Well, thought I, I have said it and
may the consequences be \vhat they may, it shall not be my
fault if I fail to do it. At once I determined to consider
my wife. This done all my powers of discovery were put
to work in search of perfections which might upset her
defects. I tried to imagine her handsome, \vhich, but for
her corp4jency was true. Exclusive of this no woman I had
ever seea^had a -fairer face. I also tried to convince my-
self that the mind was nTuch more to be valued than the
lace and in»this she was not inferior, as I could discover,
to anyone with whom I was acquainted. Shortly after, with-
out coming to an understanding with her, J set out for Van-
dalia to take my sefet in the legislature. During my short
stay there I had letters from her which did not change my
opinion of her intellect or intention, but on the contrary
confirmed it in both. All this time I was fixed firm in my
resolution. I found that I was continually repenting of
the rashness that had led me to make it. After my return
home I saw nothing to change my opinion of her. She
•vvas the same and so was I. I now spent my time in
planning how I might get along in life after my changed
condition, how I might put off the evil day, which I really
dreaded as the Irishman the halter. And now vou want to
28 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
know how I got out of the scrape clear in every sense of
the term with no violation of word or honor. I do not be-
lieve you can guess so I will tell you. As the lawyer says
it was done in this manner, to-wit : After I had delayed
the matter as long as I thought I could I came to the con-
clusion that I might as well bring the matter to a close
so I mustered up courage and proposed to her direct, but
shocking to relate she answered, 'No.' I first thought she
did it through modesty, which I did not think becoming
under the circumstances of the case, but on renewing my
suit she repelled it with greater firmness than before. I tried
it again and again with the same success or rather want
of success. I was finally forced to give it up and found
myself mortified beyond endurance : I was mortified it
seemed in a hundred ways. My vanity was deeply wounded
by the reflection that I had been too stupid to discover her
intentions and at the same time never doubting that I un-
derstood them perfectly and that she whom I had taught my-
self to believe would have been the last to reject me — me
with all my greatness — and then to cap the whole thing I
began to suspect that I was really in love with her. But
let it all go. I'll try to out-live it. Others have been made
fools of by girls but this can never be said of me. In this
instance I made a fool of myself. I now have come to the
conclusion never again to think of marrying and for the
reason that I never could be satisfied with anyone who
would be blockhead enough to have me. Your sincere
friend. A. LINCOLN.
Mr. Lincoln was noted for his kindness and when he
could exercise it he always did. One of the many examples
of his kind-hearted nature recently came to light among
the papers in the war department at Washington. It was
a letter from a young woman in a western state asking
for the return of her sweetheart who was at that lime a
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 29
soldier in the union army. .In a pathetic way she told how
in the beginning of the war she was engaged and her lover
had gone to the front promising to return and make her
his bride. Over a year had passed and her lover was ly-
ing wounded in a hospital. The young woman said that
if the soldier did not return she would die of a -broken heart.
Whether the lovers were reunited the records do not show
but the papers bear evidence that the appeal touched the
heart of the president for across the back is written in his
own handwriting "Let her go to him." A. LINCOLN.
It would seem that after the death of Anna Rutledge
and the refusal of Mary Owens, Mr. Lincoln would have
been discouraged in his matrimonial attempts, but it was
not so in his case. It is an old saying that there are as good
fish in the sea as ever were caught. After his removal to
Springfield he was thrown into different society and with
his genial good nature he was not destined to live an old
bachelor. We shall give his third and last love.
By his marriage with Mary Todd there were three
children so the name of Lincoln was perpetuated. We
have met Robert Lincoln several times but there is not
the least resemblance to his father in his make-up. He is
a short, heavy-set man with a broad face and heavy eye-
brows. He resembles the Todds and not the Lincolns.
% ^C ^t 5j!
We received a letter from Harvey L. Ross, Oakland,
Cal., in which he says: "I am glad you are writing a his-
tory of Mason and Menard counties. I lived in what is
known as Mason county and I knew every man, woman
and child and almost every horse and dog. I am glad that
my brother Leonard sent you a copy of my book and you
are welcome to copy from it when you wish. I did not
get my book out to sell or make money but for the ac-
commodation of my relatives and friends in order that
30 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
they may have a correct knowledge of the events that took
place in those old pioneer days. There were some of my
letters I wrote for the Fulton County Democrat, which got
lost and when the book came out I found they \vere not
in it and I thought that if you were going to get up a book I
would write them over and send them to you and if you
thought they would be of any benefit to you, you could use
them. If I can render you any assistance in getting up your
book I will do so and all I will charge you is a copy of
your book when it is printed. I am now in my eighty-third
year. My health is good and I can remember many of
the early events that took place in those counties. I believe
you can get up a good and correct history of Mason and
Menard counties. If there is anything you would like to
ask me about I will be pleased to give you all the informa-
tion that I can."
LINCOLN'S THIRD LOVE
It may be supposed that after two failures, Lincoln
would go slow in matrimonial ventures, but the duel with
Shields had a broader meaning than most people imagine,
and the green-eyed monster, jealousy, had much to do
with it.
Miss Mary Todd was a fine cultured lady, and Shields,
Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas and some other lawyers about
Springfield had been paying considerable attention to her,
and Shields became deeply enamored with her. He had
served in the legislature with a great deal of credit, and was
then holding the office of State Auditor, and besides being
an able lawyer he was quite popular in the Democratic
party. Miss Mary was a handsome, brilliant and highly
educated young lady, and was respectably connected in
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 31
Springfield, and there is no doubt that Shields wanted her
to become his wife, but Lincoln was his rival and appeared
to have the preference with Miss Tocld, so when the article
appeared in the Springfield papers that Shields objected
to which was no doubt written by Mary, it gave him an
excuse to challenge Lincoln to mortal combat. The terms
were so fixed that it gave Lincoln the advantage with his
long legs and arms, while Shields was a short man with
LINCOLN'S RESIDENCE AT SPRINGFIELD, ILL.
short arms and legs. The result would be that Lincoln,
by stooping over with his long arms, could -tickle Shields
very uncomfortably about his ribs with the point of his
sword, while Shields could not reach Lincoln by twelve or
fifteen inches. It would have placed Shields completely at
the mercy of Lincoln, but in all the world he could not
have been in kinder hands, for it never was in Lincoln's
32 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
big and tender heart to have hurt a human being except in
self defense. But when Hardin appeared on the ground
and declared the matter had to stop, as there was nothing
to fight about but a little miserable understanding, and if
Shields would withdraw the offensive letter that Lincoln
would give a satisfactory explanation. Hardin's advice was
taken, and Lincoln explained for the lady that the article
was not intended to reflect on Shields. Shields was satisfied
and the fight was declared off. The woman was kept in
the background.
Now it is probable that there was not another man
in Sangamon county at that time who, if he had received
such a challenge, would not have made up his mind that he
had to back down and confess that he was afraid to fight
or stand up to the racket, but as we have hinted that a
woman was involved, and Lincoln with his great mind and
common sense came out victorious and nobody hurt. Lin-
coln afterwards told his friends that he did not want to
hurt his rival ; that he had nothing against him, but that
if he had paid no attention to the challenge Shields would
have said he was a coward and had showed the white
feather, and he would teach him to behave himself.
"Herridon's Life of Lincoln" says that Lincoln and
Shields were to stand twelve feet apart in their duel, which
was a mistake, as the rule was twice the distance of one of
the swords. He describes Shields as a hot-headed, blustering
Irishman of little prominence, when he was a man of great
ability. He served as Advocate Justice of the Supreme Court
was Commissioner of the General Land Office and had the
rare distinction of being at different times Senator from
Illinois, Missouri and California, which honor we think
was never enjoyed by any .other man. He was also a gallant
officer in the Mexican war and the war of the rebellion.
After Lincoln was president, he remembered his old friend
who was a rival for his sweetheart — who would have fought
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 33
a duel for her hand, and showed his kind and forgiving
spirit by presenting Shields with a Brigadier-General's com-
mission. So Shields must have been a man of considerable
ability to have held these positions. He was a grand and
patriotic man. How wonderful was the tact of Lincoln in
averting with honor to himself the duel that might have
robbed our country of two such men.
In due time Lincoln and Miss Mary Todd \vere married.
She was of a high bred family of Kentucky, and entirely
different from Abe in every particular. Her relatives were
all rebels, several of her brothers holding commissions in
the rebel army, and it is not my province as a historian to
speak of the influence they might have exerted over a part
of the president's household. The poor woman had trouble
enough in her declining days to have unsettled stronger
minds. Let the veil of charity be drawn over her life.
LINCOLN'S MARRIAGE
By permission of Mrs. Ben Edwards we are permitted
to publish the account of the wedding of Abraham Lincoln
to Miss Mary Todd in Springfield in November, 1842.
Mrs. Edwards is the only person, now living, who was at
the wedding. This letter will set at rest W. H. Herndon's
wild vagaries concerning Lincoln's marriage.
A few weeks ago while in Springfield we called at the
Edwards' mansion. It is situated in the middle of a block
and the house must have been built sixty years ago, and
though Ben Edwards must have been dead many years ago,
the house and grounds are carefully kept. The house is
surrounded with flower beds and ornamental shrubbery with
fine stone walks leading from the house and blue grass plats
all over the yard. The house is very large and commodious.
34 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
We well remember Ben Edwards when he used to come
to Petersburg courts and at one time was a partner of
Lincoln's. We felt kind of high reverence as we entered
the historic grounds. The wife of Ninian Edwards was a
sister of Mrs. Lincoln's, who also took part in the wedding,
but who has long since passed away, as have most of the
actors in the scenes of those early days. The Edwards'
mansion is about ten blocks northwest of the old Lincoln
home.
Mrs. Edwards gave an account of the events leading
up to the marriage of Lincoln. She says that Mary Todd
had naturally a fine mind and a cultivated taste. She was
a thinker and possessed a remarkable memory. Her
brilliant conversation often embellished with apt quotations
made her society much sought after by all the young people
of the town. She was also quick at repartee and when oc
casion seemed to require it, was sarcastic and severe.
About the time Mrs. Edwards came to Springfield, in
1840, Springfield society contained some of the brightest
young men that any state could produce — men whose names
hold a prominent place in Illinois history. During the ses-
sions of the Illinois legislature among these were Isaac
Arnold, J. L. Scammon, Lyman Trumbull, Mark Skinner.
William B. Ogden and others. Besides our bright particular
stars, of whom I will name only Abraham Lincoln and
Stephen A. Douglas, the Little Giant, there were others
whose names stand high on the roll of honor in our
own state. These legislative assemblies were always the
occasion for many social gatherings for distinguished men
from every part of the state who came to the capital and
were always royally entertained by our ladies whose hos-
pitality was noted all over the state.
There was then a galaxy of beautiful girls, with vivacity
and intelligence and propriety of deportment.
All thought that Mr. Douglas was more assidious in his
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 35
attentions than Mr. Lincoln. Some of Mr. Edwards' cousins
were visiting and making a gay company and as Mr. Ed-
wards' home was not far from Miss Todd's home and al-
most opposite the old Second Presbyterian church, where
the legislative sessions were held, the state house not being
complete, the Edwards' house seemed to be the place of
rendezvous for all the young girls who often tried to tease
Mary about her suitor. She bore their jokes and teasing
good naturedly, but would give them no satisfaction, neither
denying nor affirming these reports. It was therefore a
great surprise when the news of their intended marriage
came out.
Ninian Edwards went to his brother's one morning and
without any preliminaries said to Mrs. Edwards : "My wife
wants you to come to our house this evening." Mrs. Ben
Edwards asked what was going on. He replied : "We are
to have a wedding; I met Mr. Lincoln a while ago and
he told me that he and Mary were going to get married
this evening at the parsonage. I told him that this must
not be, as Mary was my ward, and if she was to be married
it must be from my house." He went on to say that he
left his wife greatly disturbed over the fact that she did
not have time to prepare a wedding feast. There were
no confectioners in those days to furnish dainty refresh
ments which are so necessary on such occasions. No caterers
to relieve the housekeeper of the labor of preparing the
menu for the hungry guests. Every housekeeper had to de-
pend upon the skill of her own hands and her own good
taste in preparing the edibles for such an occasion. There
was only one bakery in Springfield and its choicest com-
modities were gingerbread and beer.
Some little misunderstanding had occurred which had
prevented Mr. Lincoln from visiting at the house, but Mrs.
Simon Francis, whose husband was editor of the Sanga-
mon Journal, a mutual friend, had made arrangements
36 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
that they should meet there, and it was there the wedding
was planned. To her sister, Mrs. Edwards, she had not
given the least intimation of her surprise.
Human nature is the same the world over. This little
town was not free from its rivalings, envyings and jeal-
ousies.. Some one had spoken of Mr. Lincoln as a plebeian.
This rankled in the heart of Miss Todd sorely, so when
about noon on the wedding day Mrs. Edwards' feelings
were sufficiently calmed to talk to her sister of the affair,
she said : "Mary, you have not given me much time to pre-
pare for our guests this evening." Then she added, 'T
guess I will have to send to Old Dickey's for some, of the
gingerbread and beer" Mary replied, "Well, that will be
good enough for plebeians I suppose.'"
Mrs. Edwards was a model housekeeper, and her en-
tertainments were elaborate and elegant. She was equal
to the emergency, and on this occasion provided an elegant
and bountiful supper. The wedding was what might be
called a pretty one, simple, yet impressive. The details
were not long remembered by those present, but if the
guests could only have had in their imagination the thought
of what was in store in the future of Mr. Lincoln the most
trifling event of that occasion would have been impressed
upon their memories as with the point of a diamond.
Miss Todd's ambition was colossal. She had from early
girlhood said she expected to marry a man who would some
day be president of the United States, and she seemed
to have a prophetic vision that this ambition would be
realized. But what was there in Mr. Lincoln to encourage
such ambition and expectation ? Apparently nothing. And
when he was nominated it seemed impossible that there ever
should be, as there were so many others that could be
named who seemed so much better fitted than he. But
the one who regardeth not the outward appearance, but
knoweth what is in the mind of man, saw in Lincoln that
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 37
which so qualified him to be leader of this great nation
which was to undergo such trying and fearful changes,
and therefore bestowed upon him the crown of glory. His
title to it who can doubt? His reign was short, but the
result will live forever.
A few evenings after the wedding Mrs. Edwards met
Mrs. Lincoln at the residence of Dr. Payne. She congra-
tulated her, and said : "Mary you were wise in your choice,
but I used to think Mr. Douglas would be your choice."
She replied most emphatically : "No, I liked him well
enough but that was all." The next time Mrs. Edwards
met Mrs. Lincoln was after the assassination, when Mrs.
Lincoln sent for Mrs. Edwards to meet her -at the Clifton
house in Chicago. She told her that for weeks and months
after her husband's death she was in such a condition that
life was a perfect blank. Time seemed blotted out, and she
said that she saw she must have been -living in a state of
unconsciousness, for she remembered nothing, and the
awakening was terrible. She said, too, that her fear that
Mr. Lincoln would not be re-elected gave her great un-
easiness. "I could have gone down on my knees and asked
for votes for him, and again and again he said, 'Mary, I
am afraid you will be punished for this overwhelming-
anxiety. If I am to be elected it will be all right, if not
you must bear the disappointment.' ' If she could then
only have had some prophetic vision of that which was on
the other side of the impenetrable fog bank of that which
was to be, how would she have received it? In merciful
kindness it was hidden from her eyes.
Mr. Lincoln at the time of his marriage was not prob-
ably worth five hundred dollars, in fact he was a poor man
all of his life. He never charged more than one-half the
fees other lawyers charged. His title, "Honest Old Abe,"
followed him through life. His home in Springfield, which
we visit every time we go to Springfield, is a plain building
— about an average farm house.
CHAPTER III.
FROM FLAT BOAT TO WHITE HOUSE
HE first thing that Lincoln undertook worth
mentioning and that started him on the way to
the White House was his trip down the Sanga-
rnon in a flat boat loaded with produce. He
was twenty-one years old at the time and dressed in
buckskin trousers, butternut colored jeans coat checked
shirt and straw hat. If the casual observer had been
told that the young man was starting for the White
House at Washington he would probably have said that
the thing was impossible but nevertheless such were the
facts in the case for inside of that checked shirt and jeans
coat was an honest, generous and noble heart and inside
of that straw hat was a head filled with good sense and the
good Lord had blessed him with an indomitable will, a
sound body and a good pair of eyes. As soon as the boat
started down stream he spied out snags, sand bars, over
hanging trees, and other obstructions to navigation and
remembered them which secured for him the position of
pilot on a steamboat, which ran up the Sangamon river the
next year. Lincoln's boat floated down the Sangamon, Illi-
nois and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans, where he sold
the boat and produce for a good price. He remained in
New Orleans long enough to visit the slave market and
to see husbands and wives, parents and children torn from
each other and separated perhaps forever. He remembered
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 39
these things and turning to his companions said, "If ever
I get a chance I will strike that thing and strike it hard/'
meaning the institution of slavery. The time did come to
strike and the slaves were set free. He went to the steam-
boat landing to take passage for St. Louis but instead of
paying $40 for passage and spending his time drinking,
smoking and playing cards, as the other young men did
he went to the captain and asked him if he wanted another
hand on the boat. The captain told him to come around
the next day and he would employ him, so he got his passage
free and made a nice sum of money besides. When he
reached St. Louis he found that the Illinois river steamboat
had just left and that there would not be another for several
days. He left his baggage with his partner and went
across the country to Coles county to visit his parents but
did not stay long as he was anxious to return to Salem and
turn over the money to the man who had shipped the prod-
uce. That transaction showed the people that he was
honest and capable and he immediately received employment
as clerk and was afterwards appointed 'postmaster and sur-
veyor. This was another step towards the White House.
The next spring he was looking over the papers and saw
that a steamboat was coming up the Sangamon as far as
Springfield. Learning what time the boat would reach
Beardstown Mr. Lincoln set out on foot for that place and
when the steamer, "The Tailsman" landed and threw out
her plank he was the first person to step aboard. He of-
fered his services to pilot the boat up the Sangamon telling
the captain that he had navigated that stream in a flat boat
and that he knew where all the obstructions were. So he
was secured to pilot the boat to Springfield and back for $50.
The running of a steamboat up the Sangamon river caused
great excitement in Springfield and the country around. At
that time no railroads had been built and the merchants
and farmers had to haul their goods and produce to St.
40 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
Louis — a distance of ninety-five miles. It took from ten
days to two weeks to make the trip, but now they were
to have a market at their door. When the legislature a few
years before had passed a law declaring the Sangamon navi-
gable little was thought of it. Now Lincoln had taken a
flat boat down stream and brought a steamboat up which
demonstrated the fact to a certainty that the Sangamon was
a navigable stream. Great crowds of people from all parts
of the country came to see the steamboat as very few had
evereseen one. The steamer laid at the wharf at Springfield
for more than a week and during that time Lincoln was
the hero of the occasion. He got acquainted with more
people during that week than he could have in three months
traveling around the country. It was on this occasion that
his friends brought him out for the legislature.
There was another circumstance connected with running
the steamboat up the Sangamon that benefited Mr. Lincoln.
It induced almost every man who had land on the river
above high water mark to lay it out in town lots and Lin-
coln got some fat jobs in surveying. Mr. Lincoln had
become very popular with the people and had been so fair
and honorable in his dealing and would no doubt have
been elected if the democrats had not put up grand old
Peter Cartright, the Methodist circuit rider and camp meet-
ing orator. Cartright had the advantage because he had
preached in every church and schoolhouse and had lived
in the county six years longer than Lincoln. He also had
the advantage as he was forty-seven years old and Lincoln
was only twenty-three. Cartright had served a term in the
legislature and was one of the best members in that body.
Therefore the people sent him back with a small majority
over Lincoln. That was the only time that Lincoln was
ever beaten for office by the people, and the only time that
Cartright was beaten was when he ran for congress against
Lincoln in 1846. I notice in Cartright' s autobiography he
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 41
fails to mention the fact that he ever ran for congress. The
only reason I can account for it is that Uncle Peter always
came out ahead in all his anecdotes and incidents and he
did not want posterity to know that he was ever beaten.
It was unfortunate for the people that both of these noble
men could not have been elected. Peter Cartright was an
Andrew Jackson democrat and Lincoln was a Henry Clay
whig.
Again I want to emphasize the fact that it was Lincoln's
first trip to New Orleans in a flat boat that was the first
round on the ladder that led to the president's chair. If he
had not gone to New Orleans he would not have seen
husbands and wives and little children separated at the
auction block and it is not likely that his great heart would
ever have been fired with a deathly hatred of slavery. Then if
he had never gone down to New Orleans with a flat boat
he never would have piloted that steamboat up the Sanga-
mon to Springfield. It was this incident that put him on
the track for the legislature. Logically that step led him on
to congress, then to fight with Douglas for a seat in the
senate, and then, with a triumphal march to the presidential
chair. It was all step by step on the ladder of fame from the
flat boat to the highest office — the gift of the people — presi-'
dent of the United States.
THE SHIRT SLEEVE IN THE CORN FIFLD
Harvey L. Ross had a quarter section of land two miles
south of Macomb. It was left to him from his father's
estate. It was a fine quarter but there was some defect in
the title which could only be remedied by the evidence of a
man named Hagerty, who lived six miles west of Spring-
field and who knew the facts, which he wished to prove.
42 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
He noticed by the papers that court was in session at Spring-
field and as court only convened twice a year he immediately
started for that place, which was sixty miles from his Home.
He found his witness and took him with him. On ar-
riving at Springfield he went directly to Mr. Lincoln's office
which was over a store west of the square. The office was
fourteen feet square and contained two tables, two book
cases and a half a dozen chairs. The floor was perfectly
bare. He told Lincoln his story and showed him his title
papers. Lincoln looked them over and then remarked : "I
am sorry to have to tell you that you are a little too late
for the court has adjourned and will not meet again for
six months and Judge Thomas has gone home. He lives on
a farm a mile east of town, but we will go and see him and
see if he can do anything for you." Ross said he would
get a carriage and they would drive out but Lincoln said :
"No I can walk if you can." Ross said he would as soon
walk as ride. Before they started Lincoln pulled off his
coat, laid it on a chair and took from his pocket a large
bandana handkerchief to wipe the perspiration from his face
as it was a warm day in August. He struck off across
the square in his shirt sleeves with the red handkerchief in
one hand and the bundle of papers in the other, while Ross
and his witness followed. They soon came to Judge
Thomas' residence, which was a one story frame house.
Mr. Lincoln knocked at the door (at that time there were
no door bells) and the judge's wife came to the door. Mr.
Lincoln asked if the judge was at home and she replied that
he had gone to the north part of the farm, where they had
a tenant house, to help his men put up a corn crib. She said
if they went the main road it would be a half a mile, but
if they cut across the corn field it would only be a quarter
of a mile. Mr. Lincoln said if she would show them the
path they would take the short cut .so she came out of the
house and showed them where the path struck off across
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 43
the corn field from their barn. They followed the path,
Mr. Lincoln in the lead and Ross and Hagerty following
in Indian file and soon came to where the judge and his
men were raising a log house about twelve by twenty feet.
It was to serve as a corn crib and a hog house. Mr. Lincoln
told the judge how Ross had come from Fulton county
and had brought his witness to town just after court had
adjourned and so he thought he would come out and see if
anything could be done.
The judge looked over the title papers and said he
thought it could be fixed up. So he swore in the witness
with whom he was acquainted and procuring pen and ink
from his tenant fixed up the papers. The judge and the
rest of them were in their shirt sleeves and Lincoln re-
marked that it was a kind of a shirt sleeve court. "Yes,"
replied the judge, "a shirt sleeve court in a corn field." After
the business had been transacted, Mr. Lincoln asked Judge
Thomas if he did not want some help in rolling up the logs
and the judge replied that there were two logs that were
pretty heavy and he would like to have a little help in rolling
them up. Before they left they helped roll them up.
Lincoln steered one end and the judge the other.
Ross offered to pay the judge for taking the deposition of
his witness, but he guessed he had paid enough with the
raising of the logs to pay for that and would take nothing
for his work. When they got back to Lincoln's office they
had walked about three miles. Lincoln put the papers in
a large envelope with the names of Stewart & Lincoln
printed at the top. "Now, said he, when you get home put
these papers on record and you will have a good title to
your land." Ross then took out his pocket book to pay
him and supposed he would charge about ten dollars. He
knew that Lincoln was moderate in his charges. "Now,
Mr. Lincoln, said he, how much shall I pay you for this
long walk through the hot sun and dust?" Lincoln paused
44 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
for a moment, took the large handkerchief and wiped the
perspiration from off his face and said, "I guess I will not
charge anything for that. I will let it go on the old score."
When he said that Ross could not keep the tears back for
he could recall many instances when Lincoln had been so
good and kind to him when he was carrying the mail through
Salem years before. But when he said he would charge
nothing for his work it was more kindness than Ross could
stand. Lincoln probably meant by "old score" that he
had helped him in his store and in the postoffice, and that
his father had helped him to get the postoffice. Now there
is something remarkable in the history of these two men
who worked in rolling up those two logs. It showed that
the prominent men of that time were not too proud to
engage in common labor. Judge Jesse B. Thomas, who was
at one end of the log, had served as a member of the terri-
torial legislature, had twice been elected to the United
States senate, once as a supreme judge was a member of
the constitutional convention, which formed the first con-
stitution of Illinois and he had done more and exerted more
influence toward making the state of Illinois a slave state
than any other man. The man at the other end of the log
was Abraham Lincoln, the great emancipator, who after-
wards served in the legislature, in congress and as president
of the United States. It was his pen, which set four million
of slaves free He did more to banish slavery from the
United States than any other man. The name of Judge
Thomas is lost in oblivion while the name of Lincoln stands
on the top round of the world's greatest benefactors.
It is related that while in the White House Lincoln
was called on by a lot of English snobs, for whom he had
no great love or reverence. They sat back on their dignity.
Abe sauntered around the room and talked to them oc-
casionally and finally he picked up an old blacking brush,
put his foot on a chair and began to brush off his old shoes
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 45
in a careless manner. The English dudes were astounded
and one of them managed to say, "Why, Mr. Lincoln, no
man who belongs to the aristocracy in England blacks his
own shoes." Lincoln quickly replied, "Whose shoes does
he black then ?" The dudes saw the point and soon excused
themselves and departed. If there was one thing that Lincoln
despised it was snobbishness. He never got so high on
the pinnacle of fame that he forgot the common class of
people. He never forgot the rock from which he was
hewn.
The county of Menard was set off from Sangamon in
1840 and the county seat was located at Petersburg. It
was not until 1844 that the new court house was finished.
In the meantime court was held in an old store house in
Main street about three blocks south of the public square.
The court house wras in the middle of the block. The room
was 24x60. A railing on the west end made a place for
the lawyers and the judge, Judge Treat presided for several
years. The best lawyers from Springfield attended and
they were intellectual giants. Though but a boy of ten or
twelve years, I well remember the legal battles which were
fought there. I call to mind a suit that was of more than
unusual interest and which attracted a large crowd. I
think I heard the whole trial, wrhich lasted about two days
The case was Dr. John Allen against Samuel Hill, the
merchant. Hill and Allen had both moved down from
Salem and were prominent men. Their lives were as dif-
ferent as black and white. Allen had come from the east and
was a strict member of the old Presbyterian church. He
li ad hardly landed in the country when he began to canvass
for the souls as well as 'the bodies of men. He opened up
a Sunday school in his house. He also held a prayer meet-
ing and formed a temperance society. This caused a great
deal of commotion in that section. Old church members
were Allen's bitter opponents, and yet he lived to see a
46 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
complete revolution in the sentiments of the people. Allen
spent all of his spare time doing missionary work and died
about twenty-five years ago, much respected and beloved by
the entire community. Hill did not take much stock in
Allen's sentiments. He had sold liquor in his store and he
was not a "meetin' man." He had the rowdy part of the
community for his comrades. Though not much of a man
physically when he had a grudge against a man he could
hire some old bluffer to whip him. At one time he hired
John Fergeson to whip Jack Armstrong and gave him a
set of blue-edged plates for doing it.
LINCOLN ATTENDS A CIRCUS
In the summer of 1833 the first circus and menagerie
ever known in the west was billed to be in Springfield while
Mr. Lincoln was postmaster at Salem. The putting up
of the bills created intense excitement in all the Springfield
country. Thousands of the pioneers had never seen such
a show. Ross who carried the mail at that time, though
living in Havana, was determined if possible to be in Spring-
field to see the street parade, which was to take place at 12
o'clock and also to see the show. So he started the nigh';
before at 12 o'clock with the mail and got to Salem at sun-
rise the next morning. He went to the tavern to get his
breakfast and have his horse fed and was told that Lincoln
had gone to the country the day before to do some survey-
ing and had not returned, and that Bill Berry, his partner,
had been to a dance the night before. The dance did not
break up till daylight and Bill was well nigh filled up with
eggnog and Ross feared that he would have some trouble
waking him up to change the mail. After breakfast he
found Bill in a profound slumber in a little room adjoining
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
47
the postoffice. For a half hour Ross pounded on the door
and yelled and shouted, but all in vain. It would have taken
the angel Gabriel's trumpet to wake him up. So Ross threw
his mail bags across his horse and went on his journey. He
left the mail that belonged to Salem at Sangamon and
LINCOLN MONUMENT AT SPRINGFIELD, ILL.
asked the postmaster to keep it until the next day, when he
would get it on his return. He hurried on and got to Spring-
field in time to see the parade.
There was a mighty host of people in town who had
come from far and near. Some had come twenty miles,
48 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
bringing their families with them. It was wonderful what an
attraction a circus was. I have seen the Bottomites, as they
were called at Havana, commence gathering money a month
ahead of a show. They would bring blackberries, or a load
of clapboards, or rails, or anything that would sell for money.
Some would do without coffee, whisky or tobacco until they
had enough money saved to go to the show, or just to take
their children to see the animals. Another class and a
meaner one I think is the man who goes to town and sees
the street parade and then is too little to pay his money to
go into the tent and patronize the show.
Probably there never was such excitement in Springfield
as there was that day except on two other occasions. The
first was when Lincoln piloted the Tailsman up the San-
gamon and landed her near Springfield. The people then
believed that the Sangamon would always be navigable for
steamboats and they were wild with excitement with the
outlook for Springfield's prosperity. The other great ex-
citement was when the state capitol was moved from Van-
dalia to Springfield. There were two things connected with
the show which astonished the people wonderfully. One
was a monster anaconda snake eighteen feet long, and the
other a young lady who stood on a horse and rode at full
speed around the ring. If there was anything that would
bring fear and terror to the early settlers it was the sight of
a snake. They had seen so many cases where people had
been bitten by snakes and the terrible sufferings they had en-
dured that they had good reasons to dread snakes. The
snake in the garden of Eden has done so much damage to
the human family that we may well beware of snakes. So
when the showman took the monster from the iron cage and
it crawled upon his shoulders with its hideous head extended
far above him and with its forked tongue darting out six
inches and its baneful eyes that looked like balls of fire, the
audience was transfixed with terror. But when the show-
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 49
man commenced to carry the hideous thing around the ring
close to the people, tlie women would scream, the children
cry and the men would yell for the snake to be put in the
cage. So the showman had to stop the horrid performance
and put the anaconda back in the cage or there would have
been a general stampede from the big tent. However, the
people approached cautiously afterwards to gaze upon the
big snake. The people were entranced with the spangled
young woman who rode at full speed around the ring stand-
ing upon the horse. It was a common sight in those days to
see a woman driving horses while they held the plow, or to
see them on horseback going to the mill. The pioneer girls
and women were expert horsewomen in a side saddle or even
bare back. But when it came to a pretty girl standing on a
horse going at full speed it took the people's breath away
and made their hearts stand still. No mortal of them could
ever have believed that a girl could do a thing like that until
they had seen it.
No rain had fallen in Springfield for several weeks and
the black dust lay deep in all the roads and streets. The
big crowd kept it well stirred up and the women and children
in their holiday clothes were a sight to behold.:
Mr. Lincoln got back to Salem a few hours after Ross
had passed through and was a little displeased because he had
not left the mail, not knowing the cause. With every man
and woman, who paid his and her way, Mr. Lincoln went to
the show. After the performance \vas over Ross met Lin-
coln on the street and as they met Ross noticed a scowl on
Lincoln's face. Lincoln said to him "How did it happen
that you did not have the mail changed when you came
through Salem? You might get me in trouble about this.
Suppose the postmaster at Springfield should report the fact
that the mail was not changed at Salem to the department
at Washington, but was brought on to Springfield. What
would happen to me?" But when Ross told him the whole
50 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
story, how he had gotten up at 12 o'clock at night so he
could get to Springfield to see the show come to town, and
that he had never seen a show and how anxious he was to see
one and how hard he had tried to get Billy Berry up to open
the mail and that he had not brought the mail to Springfield
but had left it at Sangamon and would carry it back to
Salem in the morning, Mr. Lincoln in a kind voice said.
"Oh, well that is all right. Bill Berry ought to have gotten
up and changed the mail for you." Then he said, "I am
going home this evening and I will stop and get the mail and
carry it home with me." Ross found next day that he had
done so.
When Ross met Lincoln he noticed that he had a new suit
of clothes on and a new hat. While talking to him Ross
had a good opportunity to scrutinize his whole wardrobe
and he could remember everything he had on. The coat
and pants were of brown linen, the vest white with dots of
flowers in it. The shirt was open front and buttoned up
with small ivory buttons. The collar was wide and folded
over the collar of his coat. He had for a necktie a black
silk handkerchief with a narrow fringe to it and it was tied
in a double bow. He wore a pair of low shoes tied in a
double bow over the instep. He had a buckeye hat on. It
was made of buckeye splints and was much like the fashion-
able straw hats. The buckeye hats were much worn in those
days and cost twice as much as a straw hat or from $1.25 to
$1.50 apiece. So the reader may see how Mr. Lincoln
looked when dressed for a circus.
When Ross gof back to Salem next morning he found
that Lincoln had given the people their mail and that Bill
Berry was very sorry for his misconduct, and that Lincoln
had washed off the Springfield dust and was as amiable and
happy as ever.
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 51
PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S FIRST DOLLAR
During an evening- in the executive chamber a number
of gentlemen were present and among them was Mr. Sew-
ard. A point in the conversation suggested the thought and
Lincoln said : "Seward, did you ever hear how I earned my
first dollar." "No," said Seward. "Well," replied Mr.
Lincoln, "I was about eighteen years of age ; I belonged, you
know, to what they called the scrubs. People who did not
own land or slaves were nobody then. However, we suc-
ceeded in raising sufficient produce, as I thought, to justify
me in taking it down the river to sell. After much persua-
sion I got my mother's consent to go. I constructed a flat
boat large enough to carry the barrel, other things, which
we had gathered, myself and a little bundle down to New
Orleans. A steamboat was coming down the river — we
have no wharf, you know — and the custom was if passen-
gers were at the landings for them to get out in a boat, the
steamer stopping and taking them on board. I was con-
templating my new flat boat and wondering whether I could
improve it in any particular way, when two men came down
to the shore in carriages with trunks and looking at the dif-
ferent boats they singled out mine and asked : 'Who owns
this?' I answered somewhat modestly, 'I do.' 'Will you,'
said one of them, 'take us and our trunks out to the steamer?'
'Certainly,' said I. I was very glad to have the opportunity
to earn something. I supposed they would give me a quar-
ter. The trunks were put on the boat and the passengers
seated themselves on the trunks and I sculled them out to the
steamboat. They got on board and I lifted in their trunks
and put them on the deck. The steamer was about to put on
steam again and I called out that they had forgotten to pay
me. Each of them took from his pocket a silver half dollar
4O *
52 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
and threw them on the floor of my boat. I could scarcely
believe my eyes as I picked up the money. Gentlemen, you
may think it a very little thing, and in these days it seems
like a trifle, but it was the most important thing in my life.
I could scarcely credit that I, a poor boy, had earned a dollar
in less than a day and that I had earned it by honest work.
The world seemed wider and fairer before me. I was more
hopeful and confident than before."
CHAPTER IV.
LINCOLN AT SALEM
T THE time that Mr. Lincoln lived Salem was a
great place of resort for the young men. Boys
from Clary's Grove, Wolf county, Sangamon
and Sand Ridge would gather together at
Salem on Saturday and there indulge in horse racing, foot
racing, wrestling, jumping, ball playing and shoot-
ing at a mark for beef. A beef always had five
quarters when shot for. The hide and tallow made the fifth
quarter. The boys also indulged in gander pulling, which
was, I think a western game. I learned from some college
professors at the Old Salem Chautauqua that southern peo-
ple never heard of gander pulling. I was taking a lot of
southern men over the Salem hill and I showed them a spot
where gander pulling was indulged in, and I had to explain
to them the manner in which it was played. An old tough
gander was tied to a swinging limb of a tree with his head
down about eight feet above the ground. His neck was
well greased and a man by paying ten cents would have a
chance to get the gander by riding at full speed under the
bird, and if he could grab him by the neck and pull his head
off it was his. Under our code of laws a man would be
prosecuted for cruelty to animals if he should undertake
such a business. So we have progressed in that respect and
have retrograded in another. We condemn Mexico and
Spain for their bull fights, and as Christians have instead
54 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
our prize fights, where two old duffers stand up before ten
thousand people and knock e'ach 'Other. On all days for
sports Lincoln would generally take a lay off and join the
others. He was stout and active and a match for any of
them. I do not think that he bet on any of the games or
races, but the boys had so much confidence in his honesty
and knew that he would see fair play that he was often
chosen as judge to determine the winners. His decisions
were always regarded as just.
Lincoln generally made the subject of internal improve-
ments the theme of his speeches, and he would speak of the
great sources of the State of Illinois and the wonderful op-
portunities that lay before the young men if they would only
improve them. In these speeches he seldom spoke of pol-
itics, so all were pleased and none offended and the meetings
generally closed with three cheers for Lincoln and a general
hand-shaking. The people would go home happy and a
few of them would not come to town till the next Saturday.
Mr. Lincoln was not only chosen as judge of horse races,
but was often arbitrator in disputes between his neighbors
and saved them many expensive law suits. A justice of the
peace came into his office one day and complained that he
had been cruelly wronged by him. He claimed that Lincoln
deprived him of his fees and interfered with his business.
Mr. Lincoln replied that he could noF bear to see his neigh-
bors spend their money in litigation and become enemies for
life wrhen he could prevent it. When these cases were
brought before him he would generally give satisfaction to
both parties, and when one was in the wrong he would point
out his error and convince him before he left.
Bill Herendon was a son of Archie Herendon, who built
and kept one of the first hotels in Springfield. It was called
the Herendon House. He was a prominent politician, had
been elected state Senator and held several other offices. He
was a Whig and a warm personal friend of Lincoln's. Bill
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 55
Herendon, whose book we criticised severely in a former ar-
ticle, was possessed of one trait of character which many
people objected to. It was the delight he took in playing
jokes on people. He did not seem to care how much misery
he caused as long as he could make a little fun out it. In
the fall of 1836 Harvey L. Ross was sent to Jacksonville
college and he had a room-mate by the name of Potter, of
Chicago. He had been there only a few weeks when Bill
Herendon put in his appearance. He said he had come to
attend college and wanted to know if Ross would take him
for a room-mate as he was the only student with whom he
was acquainted. He was told that if Potter would give his
consent no objection would be offered. Potter said he would
be willing if they would furnish him bedding. As Ross
had a large room and a large bed they bunked together.
Ross asked Herendon where his trunk was and he replied
that had come from home in a hurry and did not bring it
but that his folks would send it by the next stage. Then he
commenced to laugh and Ross suspected that he was up to
some of his old tricks. He said to him: "Now Bill, you
have been up to some devilment and you must tell us what
it is and then get away." Herendon said that there had
been an election for county officers up in Sangamon county
and that one of the political parites had paid him a dollar
and half to take some tickets to a precinct a few miles from
Springfield to distribute them to the voters. After he had
gone about a mile he was overtaken by a young man who
had a package of tickets for the opposing party. The young
man offered Herendon a dollar and a half if he would take
his tickets and distribute them among the voters. Heren-
don accepted the offer and the first creek he came to he
soused the tickets in, leaving the men who voted that ticket
the alternative of voting the other ticket or not voting at all.
This act raised such a storm of wrath among the first party
who employed him that he decided to go away until the
56 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
storm passed over. He told the story with such glee and
merriment that one would think he had done something re-
markably cute. Herendon had not been long at college un-
til it was evident that he was brim full of devilment and there
was scarcely a week during the time he stayed that he was
not up before the faculty for some misdemeanor.
There was nothing bad about him that made him act a?
he did, but he wanted to gain notoriety and astonish people
After he left college he clerked in a store in Springfield for
a long time and then commenced the study of law. He
applied himself to his studies and was 25 years old when he
went in with Lincoln. Lincoln was 34 years old. At that
time it was thought a little strange that Lincoln should take
into partnership such a young and inexperienced lawyer as
Bill Herendon, but he had his reasons. Bill's father had
been a friend of Lincoln's for a great many years and he
was a very influential man in Sangamon county. He had
always helped Lincoln in every way and it was in payment
for this kindness that Lincoln took his son into his office.
It was a parallel case with that of Bill Berry whom Lincoln
took into partnership in his Salem store. Both fathers
wanted their sons in partnership with an honest man. There
was another reason. Both of Lincoln's other partners, John
L. Stewart and Stephen Logan, like himself, were aspirants
for political honors, and he had learned that a law office
could not be run when all of the members wanted to be Con-
gressmen. As Bill was young and showed no disposition
to run into politics, he thought it was a safe thing to do to
take him into partnership. Bill did apply himself to the
business and gave perfect satisfaction to the firm and to the
people for whom he transacted business up to the time of
Lincoln's death. But for some unaccountable reason after
Lincoln's death he commenced to drink — a thing he nev^r
did before in his life.
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 57
By the act of empancipation Mr. Lincoln built for him-
•self forever the first place in the affections of the African
race in this country. The love and reverence manifested for
him by many of these poor ignorant people has on some oc-
casions almost reached adoration. One day Col. McKay,
of New York, who was one of the committee selected to in-
vestigate the condition of the freedman, upon his return
from Hilton Head and Beauport called on the president and
related the following incident : He had been speaking of
the ideas of power entertained by these poor black people.
They had an idea of God as the Almighty. They had no
knowledge of any other power. Their masters had fled upon
the approach of our army and this gave the slaves the con-
ception of a power greater than their masters. This power
they called "Massa Linkum." Col. McKay said that their
place of worship was a large building, which the called "The
Praise House," and their leader was a venerable black man
loiown as the "Praise Man." On a certain day when there
was a large gathering of people, considerable confusion was
created by different persons attempting to tell who and what
''Massa Linkum" was. In the midst of the excitement the
white headed leader commanded silence. "Bredren," said
"he, "you don't know what yotise talkin bout. Now jus
lis'en to me. Massa Linkum he be ebry whare. He
knows ebry ting." Then solemnly looking up he added,
"He walk de earf like de Lord." Mr. Lincoln was much
affected by this account. He did not smile as another
might, but got up from his chair and walked in silence two
•or three times across the floor, and as he resumed his seat
Tie said : "It is a momentous thing to be an instrument in
the hands of Providence in liberating a race."
58 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
LINCOLN AS A LAWYER, ON HORSEBACK
In early days before the railroad dispensation, it was
customary for the noted lawyers, most of whom lived in
Springfield, to attend the courts within a radius of one hun-
dred miles of the capitol city. They would go on horseback
and start out in pairs, or often singly for Jacksonville, De-
catur, Clinton, Blooniington, Tremont, Peoria, Galesburg,.
Lewistown, Rushville, Beardstown and by that time they
had completed the circle. At nights they would put up at
hotels and compare notes, tell anecdotes and the people of
the town would gather in and enjoy the conversation. It
is not saying too much that Lincoln was the center of attrac-
tion. His wonderful resource and wit would always place
him at the head of entertainers. When Lincoln first com-
menced to practice law nothing brought him so prominently
before the public as his punctuality in collecting debts for his
clients and paying over the money. At that time two-thirds
of the business was done on credit. The Illinois merchants
would buy their goods from eastern and St. Louis mer-
chants on twelve months' credit and sell them to farmers orr
the same terms. The consequence was that the notes were
not paid and were sent to a lawyer for collection, and then
it would be as much trouble to get the money from the law-
yer as from the customer. When Lincoln collected any
money he immediately turned it over to the creditor. In
that way he built up a practice which extended over the
country and earned for him the name of "Honest Abe LirLr
coin."
Ross tells about meeting him in the spring of 1838 be-
tween Canton and Lewistown. It was two miles north of
Lewistown, and as they rode along Lincoln told him that he
had been attending court in Knox and Warren counties and
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 59
that he was then on his way back to Springfield. As it was
late in the day and as the roads were very muddy, Mr. Lin-
coln said. that he would stay in Lewistown over night and he
inquired about the taverns. Ross directed him to Truman
Phelps' tavern, as it was the best, so he stayed there over
night. He had a large portmanteau on his saddle. It ap-
peared to be well filled with law books and clothing. He
was dressed in a suit of Kentucky jeans over which he wore
a heavy overcoat, having four capes and a standing collar
and fastened with a hook and clasp. He also wore a pair
of green baize leggings, wrapped three times around the leg
and tied just below the knee. The regular meeting of the
Lewistown Lyceum was held on the night that Mr. Lincoln
remained there, so he attended. The meetings were at-
tended by both ladies and gentlemen, and were held in the
old Methodist church, two blocks west of the court house.
The subject for discussion that evening was "Which has
done the most for the establishment and maintenance of
our republican form of government and free institutions,
the pen or the sword?" Mr. Lincoln was invited to take
part in the debate, which he did. The men speaking on
the side of the sword were Lewis Ross, Richard Johnson
and Joseph Sharp (all lawyers). Those speaking for the
pen were J. P. Boice, Abraham Lincoln (lawyers) and
William Kelly, a merchant of Lewistown. The speakers
for the sword commenced with George Washington and ran
down to Gen. Jackson and other generals who had gained
great victories by the sword.
When Lincoln commenced his speech he eulogized the
other side for the effort they had made, but he said that
they had omitted one of the valiant generals who had lived
in their own country. For instance, he said, there is Gen.
Stillman, who led the volunteers in the Black Hawk war.
When he mentioned the name of Gen. Stillman a smile
came over the face of everyone present, for they well re-
60 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
membered the general's defeat and how Black Hawk with
his little band of Indians had driven him with his large
force fifteen miles into Fort Dixon. After Lincoln joked
them a little about their generals he entered into the sub-
ject in earnest and quoted from Patrick Henry, Benjamin
Franklin and many other great men, and he showed that
he was well posted in the writings and history of our
country. He made a royal good speech and the judges
awarded his side the victory much to the delight of
Messrs Boice and Kelly. Mr. Lincoln was dressed in a
suit of jeans with heavy boots and looked like a farmer,
and the people were very much surprised when they heard
his speech. A number of ladies attended the meeting and
Miss Isabel Johnson remarked that she thought the rough
looking farmer man had made the best speech of the even-
ing. Attorney Johnson, who was one of Lincoln's op-
ponents in the debate, and who was known more familiarly
as Dick Johnson, went to California in 1850 and was elected
attorney general and held several other important offices.
He called on Ross after he had went to California, and
asked him if he remembered the time when he and Lincoln
measured the sword and pen in the old Methodist church in
Lewistown. He said he little thought that the man who
defeated him then would some day become the president of
the United States. Mr. Lincoln was well acquainted with
the events of the Black Hawk war, for he enlisted three
times. The first time volunteers were called out by Gov.
Reynolds. It was for three months and Mr. Lincoln was
elected captain of his company. After the company had
served the three months and was discharged Lincoln 'a'gain
enlisted and served until the close of the war.
Ross relates the circumstances connected with Lincoln's
speech in Lewistown in 1858, when he and Douglass were
canvassing the state for United States senator. He was
then living in Vermont, twenty miles from Lewistown,
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 61
and he and his wife drove to Lewistown to hear Lincoln
speak. Mrs. Ross had often heard her husband speak of
Lincoln's kindness to him when he was a lad carrying the
mail and she wanted to hear him speak. This was the
only political meeting she had ever attended though she
had been married a long time. They found Lincoln at L.
W. Ross' house sitting on the west porch. Mr. Lincoln
delivered his address in front of the old court house on a
platform between two of the pillars. There were seats for
four or five hundred people and they were mostly occupied
by ladies. There were from two to three thousand people
present. Lincoln spoke on the repeal of the Missouri com-
promise and of the steady and sure encroachment of slavery
on the free territory. This speech was considered one of
his best. Ross sat in a front seat and h;s mind was carried
back twenty-five years when he attended the circus at Spring-
field. He thought of the way in which Lincoln was dressed
that day and how he chastised him for coming through
Salem without having the mail changed. In place of the
short pants, brown linen coat, low shoes tied across the
instep and buckeye hat (mentioned in a former article) he
wore a fine light linen suit, fine boots and a silk hat. Major
Newton Walker and John Proctor accompanied him to the
court house in a carriage, and the next day Major Walker
took him in his carriage to Canton, where he was to speak.
He spoke as if the spirit of inspiration rested on him when
he quoted the Declaration of Independence. He said that it
was made for all men. It was not for the rich, for if it
were many would be left out. It was not for the red man
nor the white or black man, but it was made for all men
and all races, and he seemed to view the future with prophetic
vision.
When Lincoln ran for the legislature in 1832 and was
defeated by Peter Cartright he was not discouraged, for
Cartright was one of the strongest and most popular men
62
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
in the country. It was a stimulous to greater activity by
him, and in all probability it was a providential thing that
he was not elected, for he was only twenty-three years old
and had not applied himself to that diligent study, which
prepared him for the great duties, which he was after-
wards called on to perform. After his defeat he applied
himself to his books so that in 1834, when he was two years
older and considerably wiser, his friends again brought him
out. He was elected by a handsome majority and was again
LINCOLN'S OLD HOME AT SALEM) ILL.
elected in 1836, 1838 and 1840, serving four terms in all.
In 1846 he was elected to congress.
I will now go back and state a few facts in regard to
Mr. Lincoln's storekeeping and tell how he became involved
in a debt, which hung over him for many years. There
have been many misstatements in regard to it. When Mr.
Lincoln kept the postoffice the salary which he received did
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 63
•not afford him a fair living, and it kept him in doors so
lie could not pursue any other occupation. There was a
young man by the name of William Berry, who lived four
miles southwest of town with his father, Rev. John M.
Berry, who was a Cumberland Presbyterian and a man of
considerable property. William had attended the Jackson-
ville college and was a smart, intelligent young man, but in-
clined to be a little wild. His father knowing the good
habits of Lincoln induced him to take William into partner-
ship and they purchased a store, paying a small part down
and giving three notes for the balance. They kept the
store in the same building with the postoffice and had as
fair a trade as any of the merchants in the town.
LINCOLN'S APPEARANCE
In person Abraham Lincoln was tall and rugged, with
little semblance of any historical portrait, unless he might
seem in one respect to justify the epithet which was given
to an early English monarch. His countenance had even
more of a rugged strength than his person. Perhaps the
quality which struck most at first sight was his simplicity
of manners and conversation, which were without form or
ceremony of any kind. His hand writing had the same
simplicity. It was as clear as Washington's, but less florid.
He was naturally inclined to pardon and never remembered
the hard things said to him. He was always good to the
poor and his dealings with them were full of those little
words which are of the same blood as good and holy deeds.
Such a character awakened instinctively the sympathy of
the people. They saw his fellow feeling with them and felt
the kinship. As when he was president -the idea of repub-
64 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
lican institutions, where no place is too high for the hum-
blest, was perpetually manifested so that his mere presence
was like a proclamation of the equality of all men. While
social in his nature and enjoying a good flow of conversa-
tion, he was often singularly reticent. Modesty was natural
to such a character, as he was without affectation. He was
without pretense or jealousy. No person — civil or military
— can complain that he appropriated any honor belonging
to another. To each and all he gave the credit that was
due. His humor has almost become a proverb. Sometimes
he insisted that he had no invention, but only a memory.
He did not forget the good things that he had heard, and
was never without a familiar story to illustrate his mean-
ing. At times his illustrations had a homely argument,
which he always enforced with a certain intensity of man-
ner and voice. He was original in mind as in character and
his style was his own. It was formed from no model, but
sprung directly from himself. While often failing in cor-
rectness, it was unique in beauty and sentiment. There
are passages of his which will live always. His Gettysburg-
speech will live in the world's oratory as long as time shall
last. Such passages will make an epoch in state papers.
No president's message or speech from a throne ever had
such a touching reality. While these speeches were uttered
from the height of power, they reveal a simple trust in
Almighty God, and speak to the people as equal to equal.
There was one theme in which he was disposed to conduct
the public mind. It was the treatment of theM-ebel leaders.
His policy was never announced, but it was well known that
at the very moment of his assassination he was much occu-
pied with thoughts of pardon. He was never harsh. Even
in regard to Jefferson Davis a few days before his end, one
who was privileged to speak in that way, said : "Do not
allow him to escape the law. He must be hanged." The
president calmly replied in the words that he adopted in
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 65
his last inaugural address: "Judge not that ye be not
judged." And when pressed again by the remark that the
sight of Libby Prison made it impossible to pardon him, he
repeated twice the words, unmistakably revealing the gen-
erous sentiments of his heart.
AS A LAWYER
Lincoln belonged to the reasoning class of men. He
dealt with his own mind and turned things over, seeking
the truth until he established it and it became a conviction.
As a lawyer he never claimed anything for his client. He
stated something of both sides of the case. He has been
heard to say : "Now I do not think my client is entitled
to the whole of what he claims. In this or in that point
he may have been in error. He must rebate something of
his claim." He was very careful about giving offense, and
if he had something severe to say he would turn to his op-
ponent or to the party referred to and say, "I don't like to
use this language," or "I am sorry that I have to be hard
on that gentleman."
Therefore, what he did say was very effective and he
very seldom wounded the parties interested. Throughout
Mr. Lincoln's life that kind of wisdom attended him and
made him great and skillful in handling, the people. He
had a smooth, manly, pleasing voice, and when arguing in
court that voice attracted the jury and did not tire them
as they followed the argument throughout. He was not a
graceful man. He would lean on the back of a chair or
stand with his arms folded. Yet there was a pleasure in
hearing him. A lady once said that he was the best look-
ing ugly man she ever saw.
66 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
HOW HE TRADED HO'SES
When Mr. Lincoln was a lawyer in Illinois he and a cer-
tain judge got to bantering one another about trading-
horses and it was agreed that next morning at 9 o'clock
they should make a trade — the horses to be unseen until
that hour and no backing out under a forfeit of $25. At
the appointed hour the judge came up leading the worst
looking specimen of a horse ever seen in those parts. In a
few minutes Mr. Lincoln was seen approaching with a
wooden saw horse on his shoulder. Great shouts of laughter
from the crowd were greatly increased when Mr. Lincoln,
after surveying the judge's animal, sat down his saw horse
and exclaimed : "Well, judge, this is the first time I ever
got the worst of it in a horse trade."
HE PREFERRED GRANT'S WHISKY
It the war of the rebellion the officers were very jealous
of one another. Many of the defeats might be traced to
the officers being afraid that some other man would get the
honor of a victory. Gen. Palmer was always kicking for
promotion till he kicked himself out of the army. Before
the war was half over a lot of these officers, being jealous of
Grant's continued victories, waited on old Abe and clamored
for Grant's removal. He heard their complaints and asked
them what was the matter with Grant. "Isn't he a good
fighter," said he. "Yes," replied the officers, "but he drinks
too much whisky." "What kind of whisky does he drink?"
asked Lincoln. The officers could not tell. "Well," said
Lincoln, "I wanted to know, for if I could find out I would
order a barrel of the kind Grant drinks for each one of the
generals in the army." They saw the point and quietly
withdrew.
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
67
MR. LINCOLN'S APT REPLY
Lincoln's opponent for the legislature in 1836 was the
Hon. George Forquer of Springfield, who was celebrated
for having introduced the first lightning rod in Springfield.
He said in a speech in Lincoln's presence, "This young
man will have to be taken down and I am sorry that the
task falls on me." He then proceeded to take him down.
Mr. Lincoln made a reply and in closing turned to the
crowd and said. "Fellow citizens, it is not for me to say
whether I am up or down. This gentleman had alluded
to my being a young man. I am older in years than ,in
the trades and tricks of politicians. I desire to live and
desire place and distinction, but I would rather die now
than like this gentleman live to see the day that I would
have to erect a lightning rod to protect a guilty conscience
from an offended God."
CHAPTER V.
ROSS AND LINCOLN
ARVEY L. ROSS, of Oakland, Calif., gives a
very interesting account of his first acquaint-
ance with Abraham Lincoln. It was in 1832,
just after Lincoln had moved to Salem and
Harvey was carrying mail from Lewistown to Havana. It
had to be carried twice a week on horseback. Harvey was
a young stripling and chose to carry the mail rather than
work on the farm or clerk in the store. At this time Mr.
Lincoln was postmaster and also clerked at Hill's store.
The postoffices between Lewistown and Springfield were
Havana, $alem, Athens and Sangamon. Lincoln was post-
master at Salem, and Ross was there four times a week.
He was only a few years younger than Lincoln and they
were very intimate. Ross put up at the hotel where Lin-
coln boarded and often assisted him in the store and helped
him sort the mail and would often carry packages for him
to customers along the road. He afterwards met him often
while attending court in. Mason county. In the beginning
court was held in Havana. It was held in the bar room of
the hotel and some of the bed rooms were used for jury
rooms. Ross recollects one time when Abraham Lincoln
was attorney for Frank Low in a suit against Reuben Coon
for slander in which Low got judgment against Coon for
$500. The first time Ross and Lincoln met was at Jack
Armstrong's, five miles north of Salem. Lincoln often
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 69
stayed at Armstrong's. Sometimes he would stay a month
at a time. They thought a great deal of Abe as Hannah
Armstrong called him. When Jack Armstrong had any
work to do he would get Lincoln to help him, as his boys
were small. Hannah would do Abe's sewing, patching,
mending, knit his socks and darn them. In fact she treated
him as a son. Abe never forgot her kindness and was
enabled in after years to fully repay her. When Ross first
met Lincoln at Armstrong's he asked him who he was. He
said he was Abe Lincoln and that he was working for a
few days for Jack Armstrong. He was tall and slender and
dressed in home-made jeans, about the same kind that the
majority of the young men wore at that time. The next
time he met him was at the Rutledge tavern in Salem. He
was at that time working for Samuel Hill, the Salem mer-
chant. Hill kept the only permanent store in Salem. He
had all the kinds of goods that the people called for. He
kept blue calico, muslin and cham. Every person did their
own weaving or had it done. Jean was a staple article. It
was mostly colored blue, but occasionally butternut, which
was a brown. The stores all kept a lot of home-made peans
in stock. I think the prices ran from 30 to 40 cents a
yard.
The boys who went to college in those days spent their
vacations on the farms. Among these were Richard Yates.
the great war governor, and William Green, better known
as Slicky Bill Green. Lincoln had been helping his father
in the hay harvest. Green said that Lincoln could pitch
more hay than any other hand his father had. When Lin-
coln found that Green had been to college he asked him if
he had brought any books home with him. Green replied
that he had, and Lincoln told him that he never had the
advantage of an education and said he would like to study
grammar and arithmetic. He asked Green if he would as-
70 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
sist him and Green said that he would. Lincoln said that
the country surveyor, Mr. Calhoun, at Springfield, had
been talking about appointing him deputy surveyor if he
would qualify himself for the place. He was anxious to get
the position as there was a good deal of surveying to be
done around Salem. So Lincoln would get up early in
the morning and feed the horses and then, with the help of
Green, go at the grammar and arithmetic until breakfast.
At night they would resume their studies. After Mr. Lin-
coln returned to the store at Salem, Green would take his
books when he went to town and they would study under
the shade trees. Green said he never saw anyone who could
learn as fast as Lincoln. In fact Lincoln did qualify him-
self and made one of the best surveyors they ever had in
that part of the country. A friendship sprung up between
Green and Lincoln that only ended in death. In time of
the rebellion Green was one of Lincoln's most trusted
friends and was often sent on errands connected with the
war. It was related that Green and a few of his Menard
friends went, in one of the dark periods of the war, to see
the president. The White House was guarded by a cordon
or soldiers. Green and his friends were unable to gain en-
trance, but Green's wit never failed him. Going to another
entrance Green and his friends locked arms and marched
up. Green waved his hand said, "Make way, gentlemen, for
Gov. Yates and his staff." The crowd parted and Green
and his friends marched in.
I recollect in 1868 I was a delegate to the republican
convention that nominated Palmer for governor. Green
was a delegate from Menard County. The thugs of Chi-
cago had come down in force to ply their game. Green
had always boasted that his pockets had never been picked.
One day as the convention had adjourned for noon and the
crowd was coming down the stairs of Rouse's Hall, the
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 71
jam was fearful. Green was caught in it and relieved of all
his money. "John they have got my .pocketbook" was all
that he said to his friend, John H. Spears. Green died five
years ago in Tallula, in Menard County, 111. I make this
passing mention of William G. Green as he was one of the
men who heard Abraham Lincoln recite his grammar and
arithmetic.
ANECDOTES OF LINCOLN
There are many incidents in the early life of Lincoln
which have never appeared in print. The unwritten his-
tory, which the people of Old Salem are acquainted with
and which will be handed down by tradition, and most
of the incidents which we relate we know or heard old
settlers relate.
The early settlers of Menard (though it was Sangamon
then) were comprised of two classes. The first class was
made up of good men of excellent morals, who came to
the county to make a home for themselves and children.
Their first effort (after building the cabins) was to look
after the social and religious welfare of the people. They
were the law abiding citizens, who laid the foundation on
which their children built. These men never took part in
the drunken brawls and fights which the people who formed
the second class always engaged in. The first class were
always respected even by the rowdies.
The second class were more in favor of a physical
specimen of manhood and while they at their homes were
good neighbors, kind and accommodating, when they went
to town or before they got in town the devil got into them
and they were ready for a fight. I recollect one time of
seeing about a dozen of them just ready to start home.
72 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
They were on their horses and trying to pull each other off
when Little John Wiseman said to Greasy George Miller —
"George, you have torn my shirt." "Yes," said George,
"and I can tear your hide too." That was enough. They
all got down and hitched their horses and formed a ring
and the crowd all stopped to see fair play. The two com-
batants shook hands and then stepped back eight or ten feet
and at the word "go" rushed at each other. These fights
only differed from the prize fights that are being fought
weekly in our cities in one respect. A prize fight is fought
according to rules, while the Old Salem battles had no rules.
They were strike, gouge, 'bite, kick, anyway to win.
But to come back to the early settlement of Salem.
South of Salem there was a settlement called Wolf and it
goes by that name yet because its people were a little wolfish
in their make-up. West of Salem were Clary's Grove and
Little Grove, the Green, Armstrong and Watkins neighbor-
hoods. North of Salem before Petersburg had come into
prominence were Concord, Sand Ridge and east of the
Sangamon were New Market, Sugar Grove, Indian Point
and Athens. All of these communities met at Salem every
Saturday to trade and to hear what was going on in the
different localities. It was about this time that Lincoln
was pursuing the occupation of surveyor in Salem though
he clerked in a grocery store a short time before. He was
a quiet soul. His first employment was on the brow of
the hill where the three trees grow out of the cellar. Gov.
Palmer said at the Old Salem Chautauqua that Lincoln
planted these trees. This is a mistake. Thousands who
know better believe that the trees cannot be over twenty-
five years old. The building had been torn away for forty
years. In a short time the boys began to size up "Uncle
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 73
Abe" and concluded to try his metal, so they consulted and
macle him an alternative. First he was to run a foot race
was a man from Wolf. 'Trot him out," said Abe. Second
he was to wrestle with a man from Little Grove. "All
right," said Abe. Third, he must fight a man from Sand
Ridge. "Nothing wrong about that," said Abe.
An expert foot racer from Wolf was distanced in the
race. After a few minutes rest a Little Grove man stripped
for the wrestle. "What holds do you prefer ?" "Suit your-
self," said Abe. "Catch-as-catch-can," said the man from
the Grove. They stood about twenty feet apart and went
at each other like two rams. Abe's opponent was a short,
heavy set fellow and came with his head down expecting to
butt Abe and upset him, but Abe was not built that way.
He stepped aside and caught the fellow by the nap of the
neck, threw him heels over head and gave him a fall hard
enough to break every bone in his body. This woke the
boys up and they retired again to consult. Abe was now
getting mad. "Bring in your man from Sand Ridge," said
he, "I can do him up in three shakes of a sheep's tail, and I
can whip the whole pack of you if you give me ten minutes
between fights." The committee now came forward and
gave him the right hand of fellowship and said, "You have
sand in your craw and we will take you into our crowd as
you are worthy to associate with us." From that time on
Abe was king among them. His word was law. He was
their judge in horse and foot races and all of them would
have fought for him if Abe had shown the "white feather."
Lincoln never drank liquor of any kind and never
chewed or smoked. We never heard him swear, though
Judge Weldon said at the Salem Chautauqua that once in
his life when excited he said, "By Jing."
74 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
Amusements in those early days were confined to play-
ing marbles and in pitching quoits. The quoits were 'flat
rocks in which the country abounded. Marbles were Abe's
best hold. Many times did I gather up the marbles as he
scattered them in all directions.
Bowling Green, a justice of the peace, lived a half mile
north of Salem. He took a liking to Lincoln. He lent him
his law books and encouraged him to read law. My father
kept the log tavern from 1832 to 1835 and he with Bowling
Green probably had as much to do with the shaping of the
destiny of Lincoln as any other men in Salem.
Bowling Green was a large, fleshy man and weighed
300 pounds, in 1843. He went to spend a Sunday evening
with a neighbor, named Bennett Able, and while there had
a stroke of apoplexy and fell dead. It was in the winter
time. He was buried on the hill-side just north of his home.
In the spring the Masons came down from Springfield one
Sunday, uncovered the grave and had their ceremonies.
Lincoln was the orator of the occasion. He referred to
Green as the friend of his early youth and told how much
he owed to the men over whose grave they stood.
Lincoln moved to Springfield in 1837 and was soon at
the head of the bar. All lawyers in those days were intel-
lectual giants. We asked Robert Lincoln a few years ago
if the lawyers of Chicago compared with those in his father's
time. He said: "No. All the good lawyers are now re-
tained by railroads and corporations and do not practice
in lower courts." Lincoln practiced in Menard County
until he was elected president. It was like a reunion when
he came. His friends would stirround him and he would
call them by their given names. It was John, Bill, Joe and
so on. His power before a Menard County jury was ir-
75
resistable, though he had to contend with Baker, Logan,
Stewart, Edwards, McConnell, Douglass and Hardin. His
style of oratory was grand beyond description. He would
first lay the foundation and then build the structure and
leave no part unguarded. Then he would carry everything
before him. He was no bulldozer and never took advantage
of his opponent. He seemed unconscious of his power. It
appeared as if a mighty pent-up body of matter was let
loose, and as if some terrible cyclone was tearing through
the forest. Everything gave way to his splendid eloquence.
It was in these early days that he fitted himself, like Moses
and David, for the grand work he was to perform in after
years.
LINCOLN'S EARLY LIFE
In the following letters which may follow, I am indebted
for many of the facts to Harvey L. Ross, who with his
father, Ossian Ross, settled in Havana in 1828, and built
the Havana Hotel, which was the largest house within fifty
miles of Havana. The house stood for twenty years and
was burned in 1848. Ross kept the ferry, which was the
only place where the river could be crossed between Beards-
town and Pekin.
There was a great deal of travel and crossing at that
point. Ross run the ferry, kept the hotel, carried on a
farm, kept store, was postmaster and carried the mail be-
tween Lewistown and Havana. He had four sons, Lewis.
Harvey, Leonard and Pike. Harvey carried the mail,
though only a boy of fifteen years of age. The offices
between Lewistown and Springfield were Havana, New
Salem, Athens and Sangamontown. At New Salem Har-
vey Ross and Lincoln first met. Lincoln was a year the
76 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
oldest, and now we will let Harvey Ross tell his own story :
"The first time I ever met, saw or heard of Abraham
Lincoln was in 1832. I had stopped over night at Jack
Armstrong's, who lived on a farm five miles northwest of
Salem, Petersburg had not then been laid out. I then saw
a young man whom I had never met before. I asked him
who he was, and he said his name was Abe Lincoln. lie
was tall and slender, and was dressed in common home spun
jeans that the majority of young men wore — about the same
as I wore myself. The next time I saw Lincoln to become
acquainted with him was at the log tavern at New Salem,
kept by James Rutledge. I was carrying the mail from
Lewistown and Springfield, and put up at the tavern where
Lincoln was boarding. He was at that time a clerk in the
store of Samuel Hill, a merchant of Salem. Mr. Lincoln
had been to New Orleans with a flat boat load of produce,
and Mr. Hill had sent 100 barrels of flour that was ground
at the Salem Water Mill. Lincoln had sold the flour at a
good price and was so prompt in making returns that Hill
made him a clerk in the store. Hill had the largest stock
of goods in town and also kept the postoffice. Mr. Lincoln
was very attentive to business; was kind and obliging to
the customers, and they had so much confidence in his hon-
esty that they preferred to trade with him rather than Hill.
This was true of the ladies who said he was honest and
would tell the truth about the goods. I went into the store
one day to buy a pair of buckskin gloves, and asked him if
he had a pair that would fit me. He threw down a pair on
the counter : 'There is a pair of dogskin gloves that I think
will fit you, and you can have them for 75 cents.' When he
called them dogskin I was surprised, as I had never heard
of such a thing before. At that time no factory gloves had
been brought into the county. All the gloves and mittens
then worn were made by hand, and by the women of the
neighborhood from tanned deer skins, and the Indians did
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 77
the tanning. A large buckskin could be bought for 50 to 75
cents. So I said to Lincoln: 'How do you know they are
dogskin?' 'Well/ he said, Til tell you how I know they are
dogskin. Jack Clary's dog killed Tom Watkin's sheep,
and Tom Watkin's boy killed the dog, old John Mounts
tanned the dogskin and Sally Spears made the gloves, and
that is the way I know they are dogskin gloves.' So I asked
no more, but paid six-bits, took the gloves, and can truly say
that I have worn buckskin and dogskin gloves for 60 years
and never found a pair that did me such service as the pair
I got from Lincoln.
"I understand that Lincoln received $20 a month clerk-
ing for Hill, which was considered good wages at the time,
though he had to pay $2 a week for his board. While Lin-
coln was clerking for $20 a month, Hill gave him the privi-
lege of going out to work in time of harvest, where he could
earn from $i to $1.25 per day, and when the harvest was
over he would come back to the store again.
"In 1835 I nad taken my brother back to college, and
met many of the boys who had been at home to help take
care of the harvest, among them William G. Green, who
while at home, said a young man named Abe Lincoln, from
Salem, had come ou to help them. He said that Lincoln
could pitch more hay than any hand his father had. When
Lincoln found that Green had been to college he asked if he
had brought his books home with him. He said he never
had the advantage of an educator and would like to study
grammar and arithmetic, and asked Green if he would assist
him and Green consented to do so.
Lincoln had a warm place in his heart for Green and
showed him many favors after he was elected president.
He went to see him at Washington while he was president.
Lincoln was very glad to see him and introduced him to his
cabinet officers and told them that he was the young man
who had taught him grammar and arithmetic. W. G.
78 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
Green has been dead several years, but was more intimately
acquainted with 'Honest Old Abe' than any other living
person."
After Lincoln left Hill, he took the postoffice and finding
that it would not support him he took a young man by the
name of William Berry in partnership and opened a country
store. Their stock consisted mostly of groceries, but they
also had many notions, hats, mittens, etc. The entire stock
could not have been worth more than $1,200. The charge
has been made that Lincoln took out license and kept a
saloon in the store. Judge Douglass, in his debate with Lin-
coln, occasionally charged Lincoln that he. had kept a saloon.
Lincoln replied that he had never sold a glass of liquor
over the counter, but if he had run a saloon and Douglass
had lived in the vicinity he would have been his best cus-
tomer. Air. Ross is certain that no whisky was sold by the
drink while Lincoln had an interest in it. It may have been
sold by the gallon, as all stores kept it as they kept vinegar.
CHAPTER VI.
LINCOLN'S OLD HOME
CORRESPONDENT of the Chicago Tribune,
writing from Old Salem, two miles south of
Petersburg, written in 1884, gives the follow-
ing interesting communication about Lincoln
and his early boyhood home :
I \vrite from a town without a postoffice, a tavern or
shop. There is not a house in sight. From the hill where
I sit under the shade of three trees whose branches make
one, I look out over the Sangamon river and its banks,
covered apparently with primeval forests. Around are fields
overgrown with weeds and stunted oak. We may say of it
as of Troy : "Salem fruit." It was a town of ten or twelve
years only; began in 1824 and ended in 1836. Yet in that
time had a history which will not die; not so long as it
venerates the memory of the noble liberator and martyr,
President Abraham Lincoln.
I -came here today with a few old settlers as on a
pilgrimage to this "Mecca of the soul." W. G. Green, the
associate clerk and life friend of Lincoln; Murry Goff,
president of the Old Settles' Association ; J. G. Strodtmanu,
county treasurer; Judge John Tice, an old surveyor, a per-
sonal friend of Lincoln ; and Hobert Hamilton, engineer,
made up the party. Judge Tice and Strodtmann wrent ahead
in a buggy to pilot the way. The rest of us followed in a
carriage drawn by two mules. We drove up from Peters-
8o REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
burg about two miles, passing on the way site of the old
mill, run by Lincoln and the remains of the old dam on
which his flat-boat lodged when floating down from Sanga-
montown on the way to New Orleans.
After much debate as to the mode of reaching the old
site, we entered an old field through a gate, and, driving
up a hill showing a wheel track through tall weeds, we rode
over the streets of the old town. The weeds were as high
as the horses' backs. Mr. Rice stood up in his buggy, and
surveying the landscape, pointed out places where the weeds
were lower. "There was Cameron's boarding house, where
Lincoln boarded when he kept store for Denton Offit. Near
it was George Warburton's store and beyond was Sam
Hill's. Over there to the south was the Baptist church and
the cemetery alongside."
Mr. Green pointed out the sight of Rutledge's house.
"There," said he, "there is where Ann Rutledge lived. Lin-
coln was engaged to her. Her death almost broke his heart.
He told me once that he didn't want to live. He couldn't
bear the thought that the rain was falling on her grave and
she was sleeping in the cold ground. We had to watch him
to keep him from harming himself."
"Right here was Denton Offit's store where Lincoln and
I were clerks together." Mr. Green had not been here for
forty years, yet recognized the spot.
A small depression showed a former cellar. Out of it
grew three trees about fifty feet high, with boughs inter-
laced, making one in their outline. There was a locust
thorn, with leaves like a fine fringe, an elm and a cotton-
Wood.
The elm and cottonwood grew out of the stump, as if
forming one tree. The dark leaves of the elm and bright
broad leaves of the sycamore were intermingled, as from
one trunk.
"Behold," said Mr. Green, "an emblem of Union main-
tained by Lincoln."
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 81
Mr. Green pointed out the spot where Lincoln had the
Joneses, Greens and others had planned to try Lincoln's
wrestling match with the Armstrongs.
"The Clary Grove boys, composed of the Armstrongs,
pluck; they challenged him to wrestle. Jack Armstrong,
the biggest one, took him in hand and tried to throw him.
He tried all sorts of tricks, got foul holds and inside leg
hitches, all in vain. Then Lincoln said that if they were
for enemies, he was ready ; or friends, as it suited them. Big
Jack Armstrong slapped him on the back and said, 'Oh, we
were only in fun.' It was the son of those very Armstrongs
(Duff) that Lincoln defended and saved from conviction
of murder by producing the old almanac by which the jury
was convinced that the moon did not shine as witnesses had
testified. They acquitted the prisoner in five minutes. Duff
Armstrong is still living.
"These were the Armstrongs that wrecked Radford's
store. I can tell the story in a few minutes. Radford had
a store right over (in the weeds). It was the first put up.
A friend told him to look out for Clary Grove boys or they
would smash him up. He said he was not afraid. He was
a great big fellow. But his friend said, 'they don't come
alone. If one can't whip you two or three can ; and they
will do it.' One day he left the store in charge of his
brother with the injunctions that if the Clary Grove boys
came not to let them have more than two drinks. All the
stores in those days kept liquors to sell, and had a corner
for drinking. The store was nicely fitted up and had many
things in glass jars nicely labeled. The Clary Grove boys
came in and took two drinks. The clerk refused them any
more as politely as he could. Then they went behind the
counter and helped themselves. They got roaring drunk
and went to work to smash everything in the store. The
fragments on the floor were an inch deep. They left and
went off on their horses whooping and yelling. Coming
82 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
across a herd of cattle they took the bells from their necks
and fastened them to the tails of the leaders and chased them
over the country, yelling like mad. Radford heard them,
and mounting, rode in hot haste to the store. I had been
sent that morning with a grist to Lincoln's mill. It was at
the dam you see down there, and I had to pass the store. I
saw Radford ride up. His horse was in a lather of foam.
He dismounted and looked in on the wreck through the open
doors. He was aghast at the spectacle and said, Til sell
out this thing to the next man that comes along/
"I rode up and looking through the window that had
been smashed, said, "I'll give you $400 for it.'"
"Done," said he.
I said, "But I have no money, I must have time."
"How much?"
"Six months."
"Agreed."
He drew up a note for $400 at six months and I signed
it. I began to think I was stuck. The boys came in, among
them Lincoln.
"Cheer up, Billy," said he, "it's a good thing; we will
take an inventory."
"No more inventories for me," said I, not knowing what
he meant.
He explained that he should take an account of the stock
to see what was left.
We found it amounted to $1,200. Lincoln and Berry
consulted over it and offered me $750 for my bargain. I
accepted it, stipulating that they should assume my notes.
You see I always wanted to keep up my credit.
Berry was a wild fellow — a gambler; had a fine horse
and a splendid saddle and bridle. He turned over the
horse as part pay. They gave me $250 in silver. I stowed
this under my hunting shirt and rode off at night for home.
I had sent my grist to mill by a boy who carried home the
83
story of my purchase. As I rode along I was pleased with
my horse, and especially with the ribbon on the bridle. My
father was in bed when I arrived. He sang out, "So, Billy,
you are a merchant, are ye's? You git along to bed and I'll
come and thrash the merchant out of you mighty quick."
"I went to the kindling pile and raked over the coals that
had been covered up and made a light. Then I said : Top,
have sold out and I got this.' I pulled out a dollar and
showed it to him, and then another and another, one by
one, till I had out $250. He raised up and said, 'I must
take a chaw.' He pulled out a plug from under his pillow
and called out to mother : 'Liz, get up and get this young
fellow a first-rate supper, he has had a hard day's work.'
"Lincoln let Berry run the store and it soon ran out. I
had to pay the note. Lincoln said he would pay it some
day. We used to talk about it as the National debt. Finally
he paid it with interest."
Mr. Goff remarked : "The Clary Grove boys were al-
ways up to some mischief. They trimmed the manes and
tails of horses, cut bridles so that but a little remained to
break at the first pull; cut girths, put stones under saddles
so as to cause riders to be thrown mounting. Right
here in front of Offit's store they rolled James Jordan down
that hill. You see it goes down at an angle of 45 degrees.
Then it reached down to the river 200 feet, and there was
no road there as there is now. He used to come here for
whisky 15 miles, and he would get his fill. When drunk
the Armstrongs headed him up in a hogshead. He was a
large, fat fellow, and nearly filled it. Then they sent it
rolling down the hill. It went with increasing velocity,
threatening to go into the river, when it was caught under
a leaning white oak, and their victim liberated. Lincoln
was here, surrounded by tough fellows of this stamp, but
even then he had his eye on the future. He was studying
to be a lawyer. All had confidence in his judgment and
84
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
honesty. He didn't drink like the others, yet he was not a
total abstainer.
"I won my first hat on a bet that he could take a drink
of whisky from the bung of a 4O-gallon barrel. You see a
man named Estep had a trick. He twisted. his fingers in
a knot, and then bet you couldn't mark his little finger. I
had lost several bets on it, when Lincoln said he would help
me get even with him. He showed me how he could lift
"THE THREE GRACES"
Growing in the Cellar of Lincoln's Store at Salem, III.
a barrel of whisky on his knees and put his mouth to the
bung hole. He told me to take a keg and hold it up as if
drinking and bet a fur hat that Lincoln could take up a
barrel of whisky and drink from the bung hole. Estep
took the bet and lost.
"Lincoln came to Salem on a flat-boat. Offit had built
a flat-boat at the head of the river, loaded it with bacon,
corn, hogs and goods of all sorts, and set out to go to New
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 85
Orleans. Lincoln was put in charge. He started down in
the spring flood. Arriving at the dam opposite Salem the
scow struck. It was unloaded and a store set up on the
bank.
"At one time there were three stores here, and a church
serving as a school house. Now all is desolate. Peters-
burg, started by George Warburton and Peter Lukins—
took the wind out of its sails. It was abandoned for a
short time. "The roof-tree moulded on the crumbling wall.
Then all disappeared, and only a few holes are left to show
where the houses and stores once were."
A move is on foot to revive the memory of Old Salem
and have a park laid out embracing the old site. It would
be an attraction to tourists,' and of those who wish to see
from what humble beginnings and under what circum-
stances greatness could spring.
HOW LINCOLN CURED CHARLES REVIS FROM
SWEARING
Mr. Lincoln, though not a church member, and never
made a profession of religion, was always disgusted and
shocked \vhen he heard men making use of profane lan-
guage, and a circumstance will illustrate. It took place
when Lincoln was keeping postoffice and store in New
Salem. A young man by the name of Charles Revis, about
twenty years of age, lived with his father, John Revis, on
the bluff of the Sangamon River a few miles north of
Salem. Charlie, as he was familiarly called, was in the
habit of coming to Salem about every other day and would
make the postoffice his headquarters. Here he would sit
and spin out his yarns to the men who would gather around
him. As he had at one time been a hand on a keel-boat he
had contracted the habit of using profane language. He
86 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
could swear by note. In fact, almost every other word was
an oath. He was so in the habit of swearing that he scarcely
knew when he did swear.
One day he came into the store while a couple of ladies
were in the store doing some trading, and getting their mail.
Charlie was sitting on a dry goods box telling his stories to
his companions and almost every word would utter one of
his big oaths.
Lincoln noticed that the ladies were very much shocked
at his profanity, and after they had left Lincoln walked
up to Revis and said to him : "Now Charlie Revis, I have
admonished you a number of times about swearing in this
store before ladies and you have paid no attention to it
and now I am going to punish you so you will recollect it."
So he took him by the arm and led him out a short distance
from the store to a vacant lot where there was a large patch
of smart weed.
He threw him on his back and put his foot on his breast
and commenced to gather smart weed. He then com-
menced and rubbed his face, eyes and mouth with it till
Revis began to yell and he promised Mr. Lincoln if he
would let him up he would never swear in the presence of
ladies again. Lincoln told him to promise that he would
never swear before anybody again and Charlie promised.
Mr. Lincoln let him up and a complete reformation was
made in the language of Charlie Revis, and from that day
his most intimate friends said that they never heard an oath
escape his lips. When they asked him why he had stopped
so suddenly from using profane language he said that he
had promised Mr. Lincoln that he \vould stop swearing
and that he was going to keep his word. In a short time
Peter Cartright held a camp meeting in that community
and Charles Revis and a number of his companions were
converted and formed a church. Charlie got married and
settled down and was one of the best citizens in all that
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 87
.community, and it may be that the severe means that Lin-
coln employed bore the right point in reforming Charles
Revis and a right application of smart weed well rubbed
in would help a great many in this day who use great red
hot oaths in there conversation.
LINCOLN AS POSTMASTER AT SALEM
Samuel Hill was the first postmaster at Salem, Sanga-
mon County, 111. He was a merchant and kept the largest
stock of goods in town. Whisky was among the goods and
wares that were for sale in his store. Mr. Hill was a
democrat and had received the appointment of postmaster
under the administration of Andrew Jackson. The post-
office was in the same building and the same room where
the goods wrere kept. The whisky was in the same room
also. It wras the custom in those times for most all of the
merchants to sell whisky as they did sugar, coffee and tea.
It was also the custom of the women in the town as well
as in the country to go to the postoffice to get the mail
for the family and there were often complaints made by
them that they were compelled to wait an unreasonable
length of time to get their mail. They stated that if a cus-
tomer came into the store to get a gallon of whisky they
would have to wait until the whisky was drawn before
they were given their mail, and that, there was strong com-
petition among the merchants for the whisky business, but
none in the postoffice business. So the people had to wait for
their mail and they became disappointed with the way that
Hill was running the postoffice and they got up a petition
to have him put out and Mr. Lincoln appointed in his place.
The petition was signed by the majority of the patrons of
the office. At that time politics cut but little figure in the
appointments of postmasters in small towns. The petition
88 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
had to have the endorsement and recommendation of some
postmaster who was known and well known at the depart-
ment at Washington. The petition in question was sent by
O. M. Ross, who was then postmaster at Havana. He was
one of the oldest and best known postmasters in that part of
the country, having been the first postmaster in Lewistown.
which office he held until he moved to Havana. Upon ex-
amination he found that the petition was signed by some of
the best known men in Salem. Ross himself knew Lincoln,
so he sent the petition to Washington with the recommenda-
tion that Mr. Lincoln be appointed postmaster at Salem.
About five weeks after the petition was sent to Washington
Mr. Lincoln received his appointment. At that time there
were no railroads and it took a long time to get a letter to
Washington and the have an answer sent.
The duties at a postoffice in those early pioneer days
were quite different from what they are at the present time
and the work was much more laborious. For instance, a
book had to be kept in which all letters sent from the office
had to be registered, giving the name of the postoffice from
which they were received, the postoffice to which they were
sent, the date and the amount of postage due on each letter
and then a way bill was made out to correspond with the
register and sent with the letter. In those times we had no
envelopes. A letter had to be wrapped in a piece of wrap-
ping paper and tied with a piece of twine. Then a copy of
those registered letters had to be drawn off every three
months and sent to the department at Washington. This
was called the postmaster's quarterly returns. It was a
great deal of work. At that time there were no gold or
steel pens and all the writing had to be done with a quill
plucked from the wing of a turkey or goose. The postage
on a letter at that time in the United States was 6*4, 12^2,
18^4 or 25 cents, according to the distance they were sent.
All letters sent across the ocean were from 37^2 to 50 cents.
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 89
No postage was paid on the letters when they left the office
but was all collected when the letter was delivered.
After Mr. Lincoln had kept the postoffice about two
years in Salem the county of Sangamon was divided and the
county of Menard formed. The county seat was located at
Petersburg, which was two miles north of Salem, and soon
after that was done the postoffice was removed to Peters-
burg. As Mr. Lincoln wanted the house and lot where he
kept the postoffice he did not feel disposed to pull up stakes
and go to Petersburg, so he resigned. He remained at
Salem, keeping the house, which he had used for the post-
office, for a law office and lodging place.
At the time that Lincoln kept the postoffice in Salem, O.
M. Ross had the contract of carrying the mail from Lewis-
town to Springfield twice a week. The postoffices between
the two places were Havana, Salem, Athens and Sangamon.
The way he received his pay for the service was to receive a
draft from the department at Washington, on the different
offices on the route, and as Harvey was the mail carrier,
these drafts were given to him to collect. He would have to
call on some of the postmasters, as many as three and 'four
times before they could pay, but it was not so with Mr. Lin-
coln. He always had the money ready to pay as soon as the
drafts were presented. He kept the postoffice money in a
blue stocking laid away in a chest under the counter. When
the drafts were presented he would unlock the chest, take out
the blue stocking, pour out the money on the counter and
commence to count it. It was all 6j4, 12^, 25 and 50 cent
pieces, just the same money that he had taken in.
When Mr. Lincoln resigned the office of postmaster at
Salem, he had in his possession some fifty dollars, which
was due the postoffice department. This money he kept
ready to hand over whenever called upon by the proper
agent. In those times it was the custom for the department
at Washington to send out an agent every year to look after
go REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
the western offices and to settle up with the postmasters and
carriers. Some several months after Lincoln had sent in his
resignation, the agent called upon him for a settlement.
When he called Mr. Lincoln was in his law office. When
the agent presented the account Mr. Lincoln looked at it and
presumed that it was all right, and went behind the counter
and opened the chest and took the blue stocking from it. He
poured the money on the counter and commenced to count it.
It consisted of 6^4, 12^2, 25 and 5o-cent pieces, just the
same money that he had received for postage. When the
money \vas counted it agreed to a cent with the account that
the agent presented. After they had settled and the money
was paid over the agent remarked to Mr. Lincoln. "Now,
Mr. Lincoln, you might as well have used that money as to
have it wrapped up in that stocking and laid away in your
chest where it could do no good." Mr. Lincoln straightened
himself up and, looking the agent square in the face, said:
"No, sir, I never make use of money that does not belong to
me." Now that saying of Mr. Lincoln's "I never make use
of money that does not belong to me," comes forcibly to my
mind. How many men all over our land are today serving
out terms in state prisons just because they did not adopt
Mr. Lincoln's saying, "I never make use of money that does
not belong to me."
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE OF LINCOLN
On the twelfth of February, 1809, there was born in the
wilderness of Lame county, Kentucky, one of the best and
greatest men that ever lived — Abraham Lincoln. His father
was a poor farmer, and in the wild life of the Dackwoods,
his entire schooling did not exceed a year, but while at school
he was noted as a good speller, but more for his hatred of
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 91
cruelty. His earliest composition was a protest against
putting coals of fire on the back of a captured terrapin. He
wore coarse, home-made clothes and a coon skin cap. His
trousers, owing to his rapid growth (before his seventeenth
birthday he was six feet, four inches tall) were always nearly
a foot too short. His last attendance at school was in 1826
when he was seventeen years old. After leaving school he
read everything within his reach and copied passages and
sentences, which attracted his attention. His first knowledge
of law, in which he afterwards became eminent, was through
the statutes of Indiana lent to him by a constable. He also
obtained considerable knowledge of grammar from a bor-
rowed book, which he studied by the light of shavings in a
cooper shop. After his family had emigrated in 1830 to
Illinois, in 1834 he was elected to the Illinois legislature.
He was three times re-elected, was admitted to the practice
of law in 1836 and then moved to Springfield — the state
capitol. In 1846 he was elected to Congress, beating Peter
Cartright, the backwoods preacher. In 1854 he was the
recognized leader of the Republican party. In 1860 he was
a candidate for the presidency, receiving a majority of votes
over any other candidate, and was installed in the presi-
dential chair March 4, 1861. His election to the presidency
was followed by the secession of eleven states and a war
for the restoration of the union as a military measure. He
proclaimed January i, 1864, the freedom of all slaves in the
seceding states and was re-elected to the presidency in 1864.
The war was brought to a close April 2, 1865, and on the
fifteenth of the same month, Abraham Lincoln's life was
ended by the hand of an assassin. Thus when he
"Had mounted fame's ladder so high
From the round at the top he could touch the sky"
the great President passed to his rest, and in the moment of
his triumph was laid by the side of Washington — the one,
the father, and the other, the savior of his country.
CHAPTER VII.
LINCOLN'S RELIGIOUS BELIEF
UBLIC men are not as a general thing, noted for
their pretty talk. The average politician and
his life, doings and conversation, are not much
in accordance with the Christian religion. He
puts Christ and salvation in the back ground, and yet in the
last hours he generally leaves some testimony as to what he
thought of the future. So the last words of noted men are
treasured. Stephen A. Douglas' last words were supposed
to be addressed to his sons, directing them to understand the
constitution and the laws, and to obey them. Daniel Web-
ster when about to expire said, '"I still live." These words
are supposed to be prophetic and sound beautiful. An old
colored preacher used the same meaning when he said :
"My breden, what did Daniel Webster say when his friends
were standin' 'romr and thought that he was gone? He jus
rized up and said, 'I ain't dead yet.' ' This sounded ridicu-
lous, but expressed the same meaning as the words spoken by
Webster himself.
While Lincoln did not discuss theology, nor even make
a public profession of religion, be was always a very moral
and exemplary man. One day a minister remarked to him
that he believed he was a Christian man and asked him why
he did not join some church. Mr. Lincoln replied, that if
he could find some church whose creed and requirements
could be simmered down to the condensed statement, "Thou
shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart, with all thy
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 93
soul, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself,"
he would join that church was his heart and soul.
In 1851 Mr. Lincoln learned that his father was not ex-
pected to live, and as he had sickness in his own family and
could not go he wrote to his half brother. "I sincerely hope
that father will recover, but, at all events, tell him to remem-
ber to call upon and confide in our great, good and merciful
maker, who will not turn away from him. He notices the
fall of the sparrows and numbers of hairs of our head, and
He will not forget the dying man who places his trust in
Him. Say to him, that if we could meet now, it is doubtful
whether it would be more painful or pleasant, but if it be his
lot to go he will have a joyful meeting with the loved ones
gone before and the rest of us will hope, through the help of
God, to join them e'er long." It will be remembered that
when he was going from Springfield to Washington, to be
inaugurated, he addressed a crowd from the cars as he was
leaving his old home and he spoke as follows : "A duty de-
volves on me, which is perhaps, greater than has devolved
on any other man since the days of Washington. He would
never have succeeded except for the aid of Divine Providence
upon which he at all times relied. I feel that I cannot suc-
ceed without the same divine aid, and in the same Almighty
Being I place my reliance for support and I hope that you,
my friends, will all pray that I may receive that divine aid
without which I cannot succeed, but with which success is
certain." At another time, when our armies were meeting
with reverses and the destiny of the nation seemed hanging
in a balance, President Lincoln appointed a day for prayer
for the success of our armies in the following words :
"Whereas, When our beloved country once by the blessings
of God united, prosperous and happy, is now afflicted with
factions and civil wars, it is fit for us to recognize the hand
of God in this terrible visitation and in sorrowful remem-
94 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
brance of our own faults and crimes as a nation and as in-
dividuals, to humble ourselves before Him and to pray for
His mercy — to pray that we may be spared further punish-
ment (though most justly deserved), that our armies may be
helped and be made effectual for the re-establishment of law
and order and peace throughout the country, and that the in-
estimable boon of civil and religious liberty, earned under
His guidance and blessing, by the labor and suffering of our
fathers, may be restored in all its original excellence.
"Therefore I, Abraham Lincoln, president of the United
States, do appoint the last Thursday in September next, as
a day of humiliation, prayer and fasting, for all the people
of the nation, and I do earnestly recommend to all the people
and especially to all ministers and teachers of religion, of all
denominations, and to all the heads of families, to keep that
day according to their several creeds and modes of worship,
in all humility and with all religious solemnity to the end
that the united prayers of the nation may ascend to the
throne of grace and bring down plentiful blessings upon our
country.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
"President of the United States."
The above proclamation shows his dependence upon a
higher power. No president ever showed such faith in Al-
mighty God during such a momentous crisis as the one he
was called to pass through. A calm trust in God was the
loftiest characteristic in the life of Abraham Lincoln. HG
had learned this long ago. "I would rather my son would be
able to read the bible than to own a farm if he can have but
one," said his mother. The bible was Abraham Lincoln's
guide.
A lady who was interested in religious work had oc-
casion to have several interviews of a business nature with
Lincoln. He was very much impressed with the earnestness
of purpose which she manifested and on one occasion aftei
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 95
she had accomplished the object of her visit he said to her:
"I have formed a very high opinion of your Christian char-
acter and now as we are alone I have a miiad to ask you to
give me in brief your idea of what constitutes a born religi-
ous experience." The lady replied at some length that in
her judgment it consisted of a conviction of one's own sinful-
ness and weakness and personal need of the Savior for
strength and support. She said that views of mere doctrine
might and would differ, but when one was really brought to
feel the need of divine help and to seek the aid of the Holy
Spirit for strength and guidance it was satisfactory evidence
that he had been born again." This was the substance of her
reply. When she had concluded Mr. Lincoln was thought-
fuf for a few minutes and then said very earnestly : ''If
what you have told me is a correct view of this great subject
I can say with sincerity that I hope I am a Christian. I had
lived until my boy Willie died without fully realizing these
things. That blow overwhelmed me and showed me my
weakness as I had never felt it before, and if I can take what
you have told me as a test, I think I can safely say that 1
know something of that change you speak of., I will further
add that it has been my intention for some time at a suitable
opportunity, to make a public religious profession." This
shows his deep religious conviction.
Take Abraham Lincoln and judge him by what standard
you will and he stands head and shoulders above his fellows.
He was born for a great mission and well did he fill it. He
fouglit the good fight and kept the faith.
ABE LINCOLN AND SLICKEY BILL GREEN
In the perilous times of the civil war Slickey Green went
to Washington to see and consult with President Lincoln.
The president recognized Slickey as soon as he entered the
White House.
96 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
"How are you, Bill?" said he.
"How are you, Abe?" said Bill.
Secretary Stanton was by and Lincoln introduced Green.
Stanton gave him a cool reception, without rising from his
seat, whereupon Lincoln gave Stanton a rebuke by saying .
"Mr. Green is the man who made me, and I am the man who
made you, Mr. Stanton."
Then Abe and Slickey sat down for a long talk, in which
Lincoln recited the perilous condition of the country. Lin-
coln asked about all the principal men in Menard county, and
if they were standing by him. Bill -told him they were.
Abe then asked how Henry Clark stood. Bill told him that
he \vas sorry to inform him that Clark was not for him.
After a few moments reflection Lincoln said :
"When you go home you see Clark and tell him that i
once stood by him in an early encounter, and now I want him
to stand by me in this terrible time."
"When Green came home he saw Clark, and told him what
Lincoln had said, and afterwards Abe had no surer friend
in Menard county than Henry Clark.
Lincoln's great hold upon the common people arose from
the fact that he was the representative of them. He had a
supreme contempt for snobbery and never failed to rebuke it
when he had the opportunity.
At one tinie a couple of English dudes visited the White
House. They found the president with hair unkempt and
clothes unbrushed. After a few remarks the president put
his foot upon a chair and taking a blacking brush went to
work on his shoes. The Englishmen were amazed, and one
of them said, "Why Mr. Lincoln, in London no gentleman
blacks his own shoes."
"No?" said old Abe, pausing to spit on the brush,
"Whose shoes does he black ?"
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 97
A few days ago I was on Salem hill and I stopped in
front of the spot where the old hotel stood. Memory carried
me back three score years when I saw Abe Lincoln playing
marbles and pitching quoits on the very spot where I stood,
and where his musical voice and ringing laugh could be
heard above all his comrades. It is a wonder the ground
at old Salem is not marked so that the visitor to that sacred
spot can be better informed as to the locality of the buildings
and other historic scenes of the town. I made arrangements
with James Bale a few weeks ago in which he was to have
old Salem mowed and furnished suitable posts and boards,
and I agreed to locate where each building stood, with the
owner's name and the business that he followed.
I understand that I am the only person now living that
can do it. Salem is destined to become the Mt. Vernon of
the west. Every allusion made by speakers at Old Salem
Chautauqua that touched upon the history of this spot found
a hearty response. While at old Salem Chautauqua a few
weeks ago I met Uncle John Roll, who is nearly a hundred
years old. He was an old comrade of Lincoln's at a nearly
day. He is still in good health and bids fair to become a
centenarian. He assisted Lincoln to build the last flat boat
that went down the Sangamon at Sangamontown, and he
delights to talk of his early career. They must have been
intimate friends for Lincoln gave him his dog when he
started for Washington to be inaugurated.
Mr. Roll had a picture of the dog, which he took great
delight in showing. He also had a gold watch which
Stephen A. Douglas used to carry. It was in a heavy gold
case with S. A. Douglas carved on the back. He could
probably get a large sum of money if he was willing to sell
it. It was a great treat to meet a comrade of Lincoln's, who
had lived with him, shared his toils and helped him achieve
his triumphs.
98 REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
TRIAL OF DUFF ARMSTRONG
Hannah Armstrong was one of the earliest settlers of
Menard county. Her maiden name was Jones. She grew
up as most other maidens did in that early day, without the
advantages of culture and refinement that mark the civiliza-
tion of the present time. She was healthy and strong, of
commanding appearance, had a strong mind and was en-
dowed with good sense. It may be that she was masculine
in some of her ways.
She married Jack Armstrong, and with no capital other
than strong hearts and willing hands they commenced the
battle of life. They never grew rich, but they were happy
and contented.
In the "thirties" Abraham Lincoln came to Salem. An
acquaintance soon sprang up between him and the Arm-
strong family. He made his home with them for weeks at
a time and Aunt Hannah treated him as one of her children.
Lincoln never forgot her kindnesses, and years afterward,
when he had become a lawyer of prominence, he was able
to repay her kindness by defending and clearing her son,
Duff Armstrong, of the 'charge of murdering James Medscar
at a camp-meeting in Mason county. The trial became fam-
ous and the name of Hannah Armstrong is today known all
over the world on account of her relationship to the de-
fendant.
Historians and biographers have published to the world
that Lincoln used a "doctored" almanac and by that means
deceived the jury. I had heard it so often that I believed it,
and I confess that it lowered Lincoln in my estimation. On
writing to Judge William Walker, now of Missouri, but
who was then practicing law at Havana, 111., and was chief
counsel for Armstrong, assisted by Caleb Dilworth, I
learned the facts. The trial was to come off at Beardstown.
Lincoln had written to Aunt Hannah that he would clear
REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN 99
her son. He appeared in Beardstown about the time the
trial began and asked Walker's permission to help in the
case. Walker examined the witnesses. They all testified
the murder was committeed at 10 p. m. and that the moon
was shining as bright as day. Lincoln was taking notes
and would get each witness to repeat the statement : "as light
as day and at 10 p. m."
Lincoln was to make the closing speech. After the
other lawyers had finished Lincoln got up and said that the
prosecution seemed to have a clear case. Then rising in his
grandeur he said : "These witnesses have all perjured them-
selves and I can prove it !" Then he produced the almanac
and showed that at ten o'clock on the night of the murder
the moon had not yet risen. That the tragedy occurred in
a deep ravine. That on the east bank of the ravine was a
heavy body of timber, and that it must have been two hours
after the moon came up before it threw any light into the
ravine. He thus showed that the witnesses were mistaken
and so cleared his client. The newspapers at that time were
not justified in charging Lincoln with having j>ubstituted an
old almanac for one of that year.
Aunt Hannah and Lincoln met for the last time at
Havana in 1858, when Lincoln and Douglas were touring
the state making political speeches. Douglas had just fin-
ished his speech when a steamboat came up the Illinois river
with Lincoln on board. Aunt Hannah had come to town
early and had waited all day to see Lincoln. She wore a
calico dress, red shawl and a sunbonnet, and was wondering
if he would know her or speak to her since he had become a
great man. The boat landed, the plank was run out and
Lincoln came ashore. He saw the figure in the red shawl
and said : "How do you do, Aunt Hannah ? How are all
the folks?" Aunt Hannah was overjoyed to know that he
had not forgotten her.
Jack Armstrong died some time in the "fifties," leaving
ioo REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN
Aunt Hannah a widow. She afterwards married Samuel
Wilcox, and while there were two sets of children, all were
well cared for. She had a hard time in her declining years
to make a living off her little forty acres of land, but she was
content to live in obscurity though her name had become al-
most a household word throughout the country. She died
at Winterset, Iowa, about ten years ago and her remains
were brought back to Petersburg for burial.
Women of Hannah Armstrong's make-up are found in
every new country. Many of the early women of Menard
county possessed the characteristics that made her conspicu-
ous among her companions.
"DUFF ARMSTRONG'S STATEMENT "
It was our intention to interview Duff Armstrong while
he lived at Easton in reference to the above case, but before
we could do so he moved to Pleasant Plains. We noticed
afterwards, in the Globe Democrat, an account of his side of
the case, in which he said that a number of the boys were at
campmeeting and nearly all were intoxicated. There had
been considerable fighting during the day, and he, being
tired, lay down on a dry goods box and went to sleep.
While sleeping, some person pulled him off the box, he ex-
postulated with the person and laid down again. When the
same party pulled him from the box the second time he arose
up and a general fight commenced. The next morning he
heard that Medscar was killed in the fray and that he was
accused of the murder. Thats all he knew about the affair.
This statement is so different from what the witnesses swore
to in the court, that we give it for what it is worth.
Peter Cartright
The Backwoods Preacher
PETER CARTRIGHT
THE BACKWOODS PREACHER
Cbe Backwoods Preacher
CHAPTER VIII.
BIRTH OF CARTRIGHT
T WAS my good fortune to be well acquainted
with Peter Cartright, and this acquaintance
dates as far back as I can recollect. He lived
all his life about six miles southwest of Salem
and used to often come to Salem to trade, as it was a great
deal nearer to him than Springfield. He lived on the same
farm and was well fixed, though in early days ; his salary for
preaching would now be considered very small for the work
done. He was a man of great force of character and
whether as preacher or politician, generally carried his point ;
of medium height, but of gigantic build, with a forehead
covered with a shaggy coat of hair, a broad chest, and small
eyes deeply set, heavy eyebrows. He had great conversa-
tional powers, coupled with keen wit. He could interest a.
crowd as well as any man I ever knew. ^
He was born September i, 1786, in' Amherst county,
Virginia. His father was a soldier in the Revolutionary
war, and moved from Virginia to Kentucky in an early day.
Thousands of hostile Indians and thousands of emigrants
were ruthlessly murdered while on their way to Kentucky.
Many young men joined the emigrants hoping to better their
condition in the "Dark and Bloody State." There were
IO4 THE BACKWOODS PREACHER
about two hundred families banded together for mutual pro-
tection, another hundred young men, well armed, who agreed
to guard the families through, and as compensation were to
be supported for their services. On the route they traveled
they often saw where white people had been murdered and
scalped by the Indians.
His conversion was as marvelous as St. Paul's, and we
believe he had a great mission to fill in the world. We find
young Cartright served the devil with all his might; when
his face turned right about he commenced to serve the
Lord as zealous as he did the devil. His mission was to
spread scripture holiness in the form of Methodism, which
is Christianity in earnest. The old style Methodist preach-
ers rode large circuits, swam rivers, preached every day in
the week, rode horse back and carried saddle bags with books
for sale. They preached as if the devil had no rights that
they were bound to respect, never apologized for their at-
tacks on Satan's kingdom. They sang old Methodist songs
like this :
A Methodist is my name
And I hope to live and die the same,
or,
Oh, whip the devil around the stump
And hit him a crack at every jump.
This was the sentiment if not just the words.
He was a wonderful man, just suited for his day and
generation, there never was but one Peter Cartright, there
will never be another; the world needed a Cartright and
there was not room for two.
In the early days of Methodism the preachers had to
contend with the ignorance of the people. A few incidents
will be to the point. Wilson Lee was one of the pioneer
preachers. At one of his appointments at a private house
they had a pet lamb — the boys had taught it to butt. They
would make motions with their heads and the lamb would
THE BACKWOODS PREACHER 105
back and come at them with all its might, and they would
jump out of the way so the lamb would miss them. A man
came to the meeting who had been drinking and frolicing
the night before. He came in late and took his seat near
the door and began to nod. Presently the lamb came along
and seeing the man nodding and bending back and forth,
took it as a banter, sprang forward and gave the sleeper a
severe jolt on the head and tilted him over to the amusement
of the congregation, who burst into laughter, and grave as
was Bro. Lee, he almost lost his balance and laughed with
the rest. -He went on, however, with his sermon and urged
them to take up their cross.
There was in the congregation a very wicked Dutchman
and his wife, who were very ignorant. The woman was a
common scold and made her husband very unhappy and his
life miserable. After the meeting was over Bro. Lee started
on his journey and saw a little ahead of him a man trudging
along carrying a woman on his back. He naturally sup-
posed the woman to be a cripple so she could not walk. The
man was very small, while the woman was very large. When
he came up, who should it be but the Dutchman, who was
at his meeting. Mr. Lee rode up and inquired what had
happened to his wife. The Dutchman replied, "Be sure, did
not you toll us in your sermon dot we must take up.der cross
and follow Jesus or dot we could not get to Heaven, and J
dose desire to get to Heaven as much as anybody, and dis
wife is so pad she scold me all der dime and dis woman is der
greatest cross I have in dis world, and so I takes her up and
bears der cross."
In those exciting times a new exercise broke out among
the people, it was unlike anything that had been, since it
lasted about forty years and then disappeared. It was called
the "jerks" and was overwhelming upon the minds and body
of the people. No matter whether they were saints or sin-
ners they would be taken under a warm song or sermon and
io6 THE BACKWOODS PREACHER
seized with a convulsive jerking all over and the more they
resisted the more they jerked. If they would not strive
against, and prayed in good earnest, the jerking would usual-
ly abate. Cartright says that he has seen more than 500
persons jerking at one time in his large congregations. Us-
usally, persons taken with the jerks, to get relief as they said,
would rise up and dance, some would try to run away but
could not, some would resist, and on such the jerks were
very severe. To see those proud young gentlemen and
young ladies dressed in their silks and jewelry and gew-gaws
from top to toe take the jerks would often excite Cartright's
risibilities. The first jerk or so you would see those fine
bonnets, caps and combs fly and so sudden would be the
jerking of the head that their long loose hair would crack al-
most as loud as a waggoners whip.
At one of Cartright's appointments in 1804 a very large
congregation had turned out to hear the Kentucky Boy, as
he was formally called, among the rest were two finely
dressed and fashionable ladies attended by their two broth-
ers with loaded horsewhips. Althought the house was large
it was crowded. The two ladies coming in late took their
seats near Cartright and their brothers near the door. Cart-
right was not feeling well and had a vile of peppermint in his
pocket. Before he commenced preaching he took out the
vial and swallowed a little of the peppermint, while he was
preaching the congregation melted to tears, the two young
men moved off to the yard fence and both of the young
ladies took the jerks and were greatly mortified.
As Cartright dismissed the meeting a man stepped up to
him and warned him to be on his guard for he had heard the
two brothers say that they would horsewhip him for giving
their sisters the jerks. "Well," said Cartright, "I'll see
about that." He went out and said to the young men, "1
understand you intend to horsewhip me for giving your sis-
ters the jerks?" One replied they did. Peter undertook
THE BACKWOODS PREACHER 107
to expostulate with them on the absurdity of the charge
against him, but they swore he need not deny it, for they
had seen him take out of his pocket a vial in which he carried
some truck that gave their sisters the jerks. Quick as a
thought it came to his mind how he could get clear of the
whipping, and jerking out the peppermint vial said : "Yes,
if I gave your sisters the jerks I will give them to you." In
a moment he saw they were scared. Cartright moved to-
ward them and they backed, as Cartright advanced they
wheeled and ran warning Cartright not to come near them
or they would kill him. It raised the laugh on them and
Cartright escaped the whipping.
JUDGE OF HUMAN NATURE
Cartright was a fine judge of human nature, he could
read a man's character by the time he got acquainted with
him hence he had a different way of dealing with the various
characters he met with. There was one way he had with
dealing with preachers who read their sermons, he believed
that if God called a man to preach he would furnish him with
something to say. "Open thy mouth and I will fill it," or
"it shall be given you that how and what you shall say."
Fancy John Wesley reading one of his sermons. Fancy
Christ reading his sermon on the mount. Fancy Peter
preaching his pentacostal argument by manuscript. Fancy
Felix making his eloquent argument by note. Fancy all of
the witnesses in all ages. Fancy presiding elder spending
about six hours' at an appointment preaching a short essay
that perhaps was borrowed and holding two quarterly meet-
ings in a week leaving home Saturday morning and getting
back Monday evening and then wanting about thirty dollars
for the work that was worth two dollars and a half, and then
compare their work with Cartright's that would make the
rounds of his district in six weeks. Preaching from seven
io8 THE BACKWOODS PREACHER
to ten times a week and not getting on an average a dollar a
day. It is no wonder that the "power has left the church
and that the pastor can preach the whole winter and his
words fall like water on a duck's back without leaving any
impression. Another common amusement of the present
day is church fairs, church entertainments, where the church
and the world meet on a common level, where the church
lays aside her ecclesiastical toga and says lay there till 1
drink in this feast the world has prepared for me. In
Cartright's time it was always in the guise of a dance. How
he managed one of these gatherings is illustrated by the fol-
lowing anecdote.
CARTRIGHT AT A DANCE
He was once traveling through Kentucky and stopped at
a country tavern and asked to stay all night. The landlord
told him he could but he was afraid he could not enjoy him-
self as there was to be a dance there that night. Peter asked
how far it was to the next house and was told it was seven
miles. Cartright told him if he would feed his horse well
and treat him civilly he would stay. Being assured of that
he dismounted and went in. The people came in large com-
panies. There was not much drinking going on.
Peter took his seat in one corner of the house and the
dance commenced. He sat quietly musing, greatly desiring
to preach the next day. After concluding to spend the
Sabbath there he asked the privilege to preach there on the
morrow. A tall and beautiful young lady now approached
him with pleasant winning smiles, asked him to dance with
her. He, in a moment resolved on a desperate experiment.
He rose as gracefully as he could with many emotions.
The young lady moved to his right side. He grasped her
right hand with his right, while she leaned her left arm on
Cartright's; in this position they walked on the floor, the
THE BACKWOODS PREACHER 109
whole company seemed pleased at this act of politeness
shown the stranger. A colored man, who was the fiddler,
began to put his fiddle in good order.
Cartright then spoke to the fiddler to hold on a moment
and said that for several years he had not undertaken any
matter of any importance without asking the blessing of
God upon it and now he desired to ask the blessing of God
upon the beautiful young lady and the whole company who
had shown such acts of politeness upon a perfect stranger.
He here grasped the young lady's hand tightly and said,
"let's all kneel down and pray," and then dropping on his
knees commenced to pray with all the power of soul and
body he could command. The young lady tried to get
away, but he held her tight ; presently she fell on her knees.
Some of the company knelt, some looked curious, some sat
still, the colored fiddler ran out in the kitchen saying, "Lord,
O Massy, what's de matter ! What dat mean ?"
While Cartright prayed some wept aloud and some cried
for mercy. He rose from his knees and commenced to ex-
hort, after which he sang a hymn. The young lady, who
had invited him on the floor, lay prostrate and was crying
for mercy. He exhorted, sang and prayed nearly all night.
About fifteen professed that night. The meeting lasted the
next day and night and as many more were converted.
Now, this condition of affairs would not be tolerated in some
places. A man with such a bold manner of combating, the
popular sin of dance, would be laughed at to scorn or be
mobbed by the crowd whose designs he had frustrated. It
was in politics that he had great power with men. Born a
Jackson Democrat, when the Whigs and Democrats, both
bowed their knee to slavery, he was an active worker in
the Democratic party, both were proslavery alike. Cartright
was elected to the Legislature twice over Abraham Lincoln.
Of this he speaks with some pride, though when Lincoln
beat him for Congress he does not say much about it. We
no THE BACKWOODS PREACHER
can explain this, that Cartright generally came out ahead in
everything he undertook. It was his victories that he talked
of, not his defeats. After his defeat for Congress, he sank
out of the political horizon and did not appear again till
treason's dark and damning cloud appeared to darken the
horizon, did he make himself appear as a flaming torch.
He canvassed the state as a war Democrat, preaching with
the people to stand by the Government and Abraham Lin-
coln.
A FATAL ACCIDENT
While Cartright was moving to Illinois an accident oc-
curred to his third daughter and she was instantly killed.
His wagon was overturned and came near killing his oldest
daughter. After righting up the wagon they concluded to
camp for the night on, the spot, as they were very tired.
After getting things righted up and the evening being
very warm, they concluded not to stretch their tent for the
night, so a fire was kindled at the root of a small tree, the
tree appeared to be sound. They all lay down and slept
soundly.
Just at daybreak the tree, at the root of which they had,
kindled the fire, fell, and it fell directly on his third daugh-
ter, and it is supposed she never breathed afterward. Cart-
right heard the tree when it started to fall and sprang up very
much alarmed and seized the tree before it struck the child
but it availed nothing. Although it was an awful calamity,
yet, if they had stretched their tent that night the way the
tree fell, it would have killed the whole family. The tree
was sound on the outside to a thickness of a carving knife,
but the inside had dry rot. Cartright sent his teamster to
those living near by for aid, but not a soul would come nigh.
The teamster and Cartright went to cutting the tree off the
child, and carefully drew the child out. Cartright laid her
in the feed trough and moved on twenty miles.
CHAPTER IX.
ANECDOTES OF CARTRIGHT
|E WILL be pardoned for a few Cartright anec-
dotes. The Methodist conference was being
held at Nashville. Jackson was then in the
youth of his power; it was before he was a
"good man." Peter was to preach in one of the fashionable
churches in Nashville and the people was afraid that he
would say somethng that would offend Jackson.
So he had announced his text; just then Jackson and
his suite came into the church and the preacher pulled Peter's
coat-tail and told him that was Gen. Jackson. Peter stopped
and said in a loud voice, "Gen. Jackson; who is Gen. Jack-
son; if he don't repent of his sins and be a better man
God Almighty will damn him as quick as a Georgia nigger."
Peter's friends then tried to get him to leave the city ar.
once, feeling sure that Jackson would kill him on sight the
next morning, but Cartright said no; that he was taught
to love everybody and fear nobody. The next morning,
sure enough, one of Jackson's aides came into the hotel and
handed Cartright a note to call at the Governor's mansion
at once. His friends expostulated but he went. Jackson
met him on the sidewalk and extended his hand, saying:
"You are a brave man, just the kind of a man I have been
looking for. If I had a regiment like you I could whip the
whole British Nation. Now," said Jackson, "you make my
house your home as long as you stay in the city." This in-
cident only illustrates Peter's character.
H2 THE BACKWOODS PREACHER
He never fained or fancied greatness, one man was as
good as another. How different from many preachers who
bow down to wealth and kiss the big toe of rich men, while
the poor are too often neglected. Cartright may at times
seemed warlike, too much like a boy with a chip on his
shoulder. I recall the times he preached at Rock Creek
campmeeting, when he would give his Cumberland brethren
a jolt in final perserverance, and with a merry twinkle of his
eye, appeared to see how they enjoyed it. He was as bold
as a lion and as soft as a cooing dove. There was none
before him like him, there was none in his time like him,
and none after him like him.
It has often been thought strange that Cartright should
have dJ£d_worth ^^o^og^when he spent his whole life travel-
ing large circuits, with only a small salary. His estate con-
sisted of a large farm, which he bought at Congress price,
and he always lived on it, never moved from one district,
to another. He settled on his farm away back in 1830 and
the farm got to be quite valuable. It was situated eight
miles southwest of Petersburg, in the edge of Sangamon
County, but we always considered him a citizen of Menard,
as he came to Salem very often.
He had quite a family. One daughter married Wm.
Newman, who was a presiding elder; another married
W. D. Trotter, who was another noted preacher. Another
married Patten Harrison, who was one of the most noted
rowdies of his day, and who caused Peter a great deal of
trouble in his day. While his sons, Peter and Matt, were
not noted for the piety, but the farm was run in Peter's
absence in good order. He had abotrt-^ee-aeres and always
held onto it and had a good home where he could rest
from his long circuits. He would start north for 100 miles,
then cross the Illinois River to Rock River, then down to
Galesburg; thence to Canton, then to Pike County, cross at
Beardstown, then home after six weeks' absence.
THE BACKWOODS PREACHER 113
CARTRIGHT'S APPEARANCE
Cartright, ever since I knew him, always wore a white
hat with a broad rim. It must have been a brother to the
one Horace Greele' wore. It looked like the hat that Mar-
tin Waddle, the hatter, in Salem, used to make ; the nap and
fur on it were a half inch long. I have often seen him
come to Salem, and I knew him by his hat if nothing else;
the hat he wore in the "thirties," might not have been the hat
he wore in the seventies, but it was the same kind and was
made on the same block.
In personal appearance Cartright resembled Dick
Oglesby more than any other man I can think of. I knew
both men, in their time they both had the same kind of
voices, and both, in ther declining years, had the same
tremulous voice. The last time I saw Cartright was in
1868, when he stayed at my house for five days; the last
time I saw Governor Oglesby was at the Old Salem Chautau-
qua in 1898; they had both outlived their days and genera-
tion, but people hung on their words with great reverence,
as Oglesby was a power in the political world, so Cartright
was a power in the religious world ; nobody doubted the
courage of Oglesby. He carried enough lead in his body
to vindicate that and at the Salem Chautauqua, from his
feeble voice, his unsteady step, most of the audience were
conscious that they would hear his voice no more. When
Cartright left my house in 1868, I said to my wife we will
see Uncle Peter no more, it was his last round. He had
fought a good fight and kept the faith and henceforth a
crown was laid up for him.
A few years after the death of Peter Cartright, the final
summons came to Mrs. Cartright, whose activity of body
and mind continued to the last. This happened just as she:
had finished speaking at a Methodist love feast in the
Pleasant Plains church. Her closing: sentence was about
H4 THE BACKWOODS PREACHER
her life duties being so near finished; that she was "Only
waiting for the chariot of the Lord," she sank back suddenly
to her seat. Willing hands were reached to her assistance;
she did not need them. The "Everlasting arms" had taken
her spirit home. Rev. Harden Wallace, who had charge of
the meeting broke silence by saying: "The chariot has
come." It had. She was buried beside her husband in the
Pleasant Plains Cemetery.
Samuel Hill, the Salem merchant, was not a man of
much physical strength himself, but was in the habit of
taking some delight in whipping any person that might be
offensive to him. It was he that hired John Fergesson to
whip Jack Armstrong, and for the job was to give a set
of blue edged plates. John got the plates, but said it was
the dearest set of plates he ever had. It was when Cart-
right was at his best that Hill conceived a dislike for him,
but no bully ever took the job of whipping him from Hill.
Cartright appeared to take great pleasure in coming and
sitting under Hill's porch and annoying him. He would
come and sit for hours and laugh and talk about Hill, while
Hill stayed indoors. He was describing one day to a crowd
how he viewed Hill's soul. He said he had some doubts
whether he had a soul till one day he. put a quarter of a
dollar on Hill's lips, when his soul came guggling up to get
the piece of silver.
CHAPTER X.
RIDING HIS CIRCUIT
N THE pioneer days there were no roads, the
prairie grass was as high as a man's head, and
paths were the only guides the pioneers had.
Cartright would travel all day without passing
a cabin of the hardy pioneers. It was easy to travel through
the timber, but the prairies were not then settled. When
he would come to the edge of the timber the cabins would
end. Then he would strike across the prairie from one point
of timber, and would have to go by the sun or some other
natural course. Sometimes night would overtake him and
he would camp out. Think of that, ye ministers of these
latter days, who ride in pomp and splendor in palace cars
and get four times as much for doing half the pioneer
preachers did!
They had these routes through the timber belts marked
by blazing. They would take a line of trees in a row, and
with an axe scalp the bark on the right side about four feet
from the ground, so that a traveler could always have a
half dozen scalped trees ahead of him. So Cartright traveled
by paths through the prairies from point to point and
through the timber by scalped trees, not meeting a fellow
traveler from ten to twenty miles. During those miles of
solitude he had time to think up a good sermon, for it is
when alone that the best thoughts of man come to him —
there being nothing from the outside world to distract his
thoughts. One reason why he performed so much work
n6 THE BACKWOODS PREACHER
was his strong and hardy frame; for it is a fact that a
strong and vigorous frame produces strong and vigorous
thought; a short face, narrow between the eyes, indicate
a narrow mind and feeble thoughts. Give me a preacher
like Cartright — one of vigorous frame and intellect. Cart-
right wore a 7% hat. It was only a hat made by the home
hatters, and weighed double that of the hats made now.
The body of his hats were always a quarter of an inch
thick, with a rim five inches wide, the crown eight inches
high, and the nap one-half inch long, heavily lined with silk.
The hat he wore when I first knew him I think lasted him
twenty-five or thirty years.
He was nothing if not friendly; no man or boy escaped
his attention. Full of wit and good humor, he could enter-
tain a crowd of one or one hundred. When jie_thougiitLhe
was right no earthly power __mnlH _-pprsTTa.de C.a.r\r\ght to
abandon a principle. Htfwas Jjke_Henry Clay; he would
which will illustrate this: On a certain occasion he met an
interesting family, the father of which was a drunkard.
The family joined the church and the old man was also
friendly. They met one time at a store. The drinking man
called for cherry bounce. He sweetened it for Cartright,
out of pure love for him, and invited the preacher to drink
with him. Cartright refused, and told the man that he had
given up the practice. The man then told Cartright that
if he did not drink with him he would be no friend of his or
of his family, and that he would never go to hear him
preach again. Peter told him that it was all in vain to
urge him, that his principles were fixed and that he would
not violate them for man or mortal. The man then flew
into a rage and cursed and abused him. Peter walked off
and left the man in his glory. He never forgave Cartright,
made his family leave the church and lived and died a
drunkard.
THE BACKWOODS PREACHER 117
CARTRIGHT GETS A LITTLE BOOZY
Brothers Walker and Cartright were out once together.
They started early in the morning, traveled twenty-five miles
and arrived at Knoxville about noon. They rode to a
tavern, but finding a great, noisy, drunken crowd, Cartright
said to Walker : "This is a poor place for weary travelers.;
we will not stop here.". They rode on to another tavern,
but it was still worse, for the people were drunk and a real
bully fight was going on. Cartright proposed to Walker
that they go on where they could find some private entertain-
ment where it would be quite. So they went on. Present-
ly they came to a house with a sign over the door of "Private
Entertainment and New Cider." Cartright said : "Here is
the place ; if we can get some good light bread and new cider
that's dinner enough for me." Walker said that was exactly
what he wanted. They accordingly halted and an old man
came out. Peter inquired if they could have their horses
fed, and obtain some new light bread and some new cider.
"Alight," said the landlord, "for I suspect you are two
Methodist preachers and have been to Baltimore to the con-
ference." They replied they had. The horses were then
well fed, and a loaf of good light bread and a pitcher of new
cider was set before them. The landlord was an Otterbean
Methodist. His wife was sick and she sent for the preachers
to come and pray for her. They did $0, and then returned to
eat'their bread and drink their cider. The weather was very
warm, and soon they were laying in the bread and cider at
a rapid rate. It seemed to Cartright, however, that it was
not only new cider, but something more, and he began to
rein up his appetite. Walker laid in liberally, and at length
Cartright said to him, "You had better stop, for this is
surely something more than cider." "I reckon not," replied
Walker.
Cartright was not in the habit of using spirits at all.
u8 THE BACKWOODS PREACHER
He knew that very little would floor him, and presently he
began to feel light headed. He instantly ordered their
horses, fearing that, for once, both himself and Walker
would get a little boozy. They then mounted their horses
and started on their journey. When they had ridden about
a mile Cartright rode up to Walker and cried out, "Wake
up ! Wake up !" Walker roused up, his eyes watering
freely. Cartright then said, "I believe we are both drunk.
Let us turn out of the road, and lie down, and take a nap
till we both get sober.'" But they rode on, not drunk, but
they felt it flying to their heads. I have thought it proper
to mention this in order that others might be put on their
guard.
CAPACITY FOR WORK
Cartright accomplished a wonderful amount of work
during his ministry— more than any of our modern presid-
ing elders of the present day, while his salary was scarcely
$100 a year, and more often less than more. He always
contended for the Methodist usuages — the campmeetings,
class ' meetings, prayer meetings and love feasts. When
Methodism began to throw off these meetings the church
was shorn of its strength and was a Sampson in the hands
of Deliah. In these early days its members always looked
forward to a quarterly meeting with delight as a season of
refreshing from the Lord. But how is it now ? It is rather
dreaded. The elder comes and reads a sermon that he prob-
ably borrowed from Talmage, or if he didn't, it would have
been better if he had, for the congregation would have had
a better one. At the close of the sermon then comes the
tug of war; the preacher announces that it is necessary to
raise about $15 for the elder, and when the congregation
seems to have its mind in a suitable frame to take the
sacrament, the struggle for the $15 begins. How many
THE BACKWOODS PREACHER 119
$i men, the preacher asks, are in the house. After that,
how many 500. men, and then how many 250. men. If
it still lacks a little the steward will wait on the congrega-
tion and gather up the fragments, that nothing may be lost,
says the preacher, and the result is that it requires all the
talent the preacher in charge has to raise the elder's claim,
well knowing that his next appointment depends on his
ability to raise money for the elder's one sermon, while the
early father spent about a week for one- fourth of what he
got. I speak this not in a spirit of criticism or fault-finding,
but as a real fact that exists. Cartright appeared to have
the spirit of prophecy and to see in the future what has
come to pass. The church has lost its power. The bishops
have sounded the alarm — "the church lost thousands of
members last year." What is to be done? Let a voice
from the grave of Cartright answer : "Return to the old
paths, do thy first work over, lest thy candle stick be re-
moved out of its place." The Methodist church, in its
primitive state, was the gospel to the poor. In all of our
large cities the poor have to take a back seat in the church.
"Do thy first works over." Pardon this digression. The
only apology we make for this style is that we feel like it,
and, like Carrie Nation, only do it because those in authority
refused to speak out.
When Cartright first started out as a preacher, a single
man was allowed to receive $80 a year, if his circuit could
raise that much, but he seldom received over $30 or $40,
and this, with a few presents and wedding fees, was all he
got. He traveled eleven circuits. and twelve districts; re-
ceived on probation and by letter 10,000; children bap-
tized, 8,000; adults, 4,000; funerals preached, 500. For
twenty years of his ministry he preached, as often as 400
times, which would make 8,000 sermons. Nor did he
have his sermons written. In the last thirty-three years of
his life he averaged four sermons a week, making in thru
I2O
THE BACKWOODS PREACHER
time, 6,600; total, 14,600. He was a great man for camp-
meetings and prayer meetings. He was converted at a camp-
meeting, and in his early ministry lived in a tented grove
from two to three months in a year. He said : "May the
day be eternally distant when camp-meetings, class meet-
ings, prayer meetings and love feasts shall be laid aside in
the Methodist churches."
Cartright was never afraid to rebuke spiritual wicked-
ness in high places, as the following instance will illustrate :
While a member of the Legislature he was invited to take
supper with the Governor. They sat down to the table, and
the Governor was going to pass the dishes when Cartright
said: "Hold on, Governor, ask a blessing." The Gov-
ernor blushed, stammered and excused himself, and then
asked Cartright to ask the blessing. The preacher did so.
and then gave the Governor a lecture about a man of his
high position eating without offering thanks to the Giver of
the supper. No doubt the Governor never sat down to a
meal after that without thinking of the rebuke.
CHAPTER XI.
THE BAPTISTS
HE Baptist church played an important part
in the spiritual welfare of the people of Menarcl
County in its early days. The Hardshells were
perhaps the most numerous back in 1840.
They often had preaching at my father's house in Salem,
because it was the largest house in the village. John
Antle, who lived at Salisbury, and who was the father
of the late Dr. Francis P. Antle, was a fair preacher,
though he had an ah-h-h at the end of every sentence.
Then there was Crow and Bagby, who could not preach
without the holy tone and who like Whangdoodle thought
it better to have a hardshell than no shell at all.
The Hardshells were opposed to the more progressive
sentiments of the other sects. An incident will serve to
illustrate: At a meeting in the Baptist Church near Felix
Green's, where everything was done by the church, Bro.
Green was turned out of the church for having joined Dr.
Allen's temperance society. At the same meeting Bro.
A was charged with being drunk, and was also turned
out. Bro. P , who was loaded for bear, got up and,
steadying himself, pulled out a flask and shook it till H
beaded, and said : "Brethering, it seems to me that you are
not sistenent, (consistent) because you have turned out one
man for taking the pledge and another for getting drunk.
Now, brethering, how much of this critter have I got to drink
to have good standing among you?"
122 THE BACKWOODS PREACHER
Another portion of the early Baptist Church was repre-
sented by Tilford Clark, who was a fine preacher and con-
ducted revivial meetings in the school houses and private
residences.
In 1842 Abraham Bale came from Kentucky and created
a commotion. He was considered a great preacher. Tall,
well formed, with a powerful constitution and a voice like
a lion, he could wake the natives for a half mile 'round.
He held wonderful revivals all over the country and bap-
tized converts in the River Sangamon, even as John the
Baptist did in the River Jordan. I have seen him administer
baptism to fifty at a time, just below Salem mill. A couple
of men or women would get the converts ready and pass
them to Bale, who would soon have them put under the
water in good style, while the rowdies above would throw
in dogs and logs and otherwise disturb the proceedings, and
when going to and from the river would run their horses
and whoop and yell like Indians. At one of his baptizings,
just as he was about to lead a sister out into the water, her
husband, who was watching the ceremonies, cried out :
"Hold on, Bale ! Hold on, Bale ! Don't you 'dround' her !
I wouldn't take the best cow and calf in Menard County for
her!"
Bale's star outshone every other star for a few years
and then he moved away. His brother, Jacob Bale, tried
his hand at preaching for a time but did not make much of
a success at it.
"Pres" Curry has sounded the gospel trumpet in Menard
County for nearly sixty years and has -probably baptized
more people, preached more funerals and married more
couples than any other man. "Pres" does not take to any
so-called improvements in theology. He thinks the Bible
should be interpreted as it reads; hence his sermons are of
the doctrinal sort, and he never considers a sermon com-
plete unless he has the Baptist mode of baptism somewhere
THE BACKWOODS PREACHER 123
in it. He is an earnest preacher, and still thinks the old time
theology the best.
The Baptist Church in Menard County has filled its
mission well and among the churches in Petersburg the one
on Main street, south of the court house, has done as much
to better the spiritual condition of the people as any other.
THE CAMPBELLITES
In early days it was no stigma to call this division of
the army of the Lord Campbellites. They were the fol-
lowers of Alexander Campbell and were not ashamed of
their parentage. Now, we believe, they prefer to call them-
selves Christians, which is not objected to, unless they lay
claim to being the only church that is entitled to the name.
In early days it was said that the Campbellites and the
doer- fennel took the town every fall ; that is, the church had
a revival about the time the dog-fennel crop ripened. Some
worthy evangelist would come along and 'after a few days'
preaching would increase fifty to a hundred and go on his
way rejoicing. I remember Aaron White as a zealous ad-
vocate of the doctrines of this church. He always carried
his Testament with him, with marked passages of scripture,
ready to defend his faith:
At Sugar Grove William Engle was a preacher belong-
ing to this church. He was a short, heavy-set man/ of good
speech, and never let any man get ahead of him in an argu-
ment. All old settlers remember "Bill.'' Engle. He was a
jolly story teller. I heard him and "Fog" Atchison telling
in Petersburg which had the fattest sheep. Engle said :
"I tell you, Mr. Atchison, I have the fattest sheep. An ox
hooked one the other day and we rendered it up. It was all
tallow and its tail made a tallow candle." He got the laugh
on Atchison.
124 THE BACKWOODS PREACHER
The Christian Church has many schools and colleges.
One at Eureka turns out many young men well educated.
The church has taken advanced ground on the temperance
question and most of its preachers and members are prohibi-
tionists.
THE PRESBYTERIANS
Dr. Allen's coming to Petersburg in 1840 was the be-
ginning of that church. For a time the meetings were held
in the old court house, an old building in which Septimus
Levering kept store at an early day. It was in the middle
of the block, three blocks south of the public square and on
the west side of the street. Jim Taylor kept store on the
south corner of the block and the Hoeys on the north cor-
ner. After a while a small church was built north of where
Rule's livery stable now stands, where other denominations
also held meetings when it was not occupied by the Presby-
terians. A preacher by the name of Gault held meetings
there for a number of years. He was a good preacher,
but, Presbyterian like, read his sermons, which lessened "their
effect. William Cowgill, the Frackeltons, Dr. Allen and a
few others represented the Presbyterian Church in the
"forties." A large and substantial brick church was erected
one block west of the square later on. The old church is
now occupied by S. B. Bryant as a paint shop.
METHODIST CHURCH
A representative man in the early history of the Method-
ist Church in Petersburg, was Rev. George Barrett, a young
man, full of vigor and very popular. The old settlers re-
member his eccentricities. He would read his text and if
anything engaged his attention he would make a remark
THE BACKWOODS PREACHER 125
and go ahead. In reading his text one morning he said :
" 'And the Lord said unto Moses' — Bob Davidson you be
still !" Then he went ahead and finished his text. Barrett
was a good feeder. One year his circuit took in Pecan
Bottom, where the natives lived on pumpkins, cooked in
various styles — stewed pumpkin, dried pumpkin, pumpkin
pie, etc., etc. Barrett got tired of this kind of provender
and one morning he thought he would tell the Lord about
it ; so he prayed : "Oh, Lord, we thank thee for the
genial sunshine that causes the corn to grow, to fatten the
the hogs for meat to eat, that thy servant may have strength
to fit him for the arduous duties that lie before him. And
now, Lord, may it please thee to blast the pumpkin crop, for
we cannot perform our work on such diet." After that
Barrett got all the meat he wanted.
Barrett died about ten years ago in Morgan County.
He made a trip to Europe in the latter part of his life.
Crowds of beggars beset him in his travels. He finally dis-
covered that if he took his store teeth out of his mouth he
could scare the beggars by running after them wth his teeth
in his hand. He was not annoyed any more by beggars.
OLD-FASHIONED CAMP -MEETINGS
In the early days of Menard County (then a part of
Sangamon) there were no churches and the religious meet-
ings were held in the little school houses or in private resi-
dences. Once a year camp-meetings would be held. The
Cumberland Presbyterians appeared to lead. There were
three large congregations of that denomination within the
bounds of Menard County from 1830 to 1845. At Con-
cord, north of Petersburg, where one of these camp-meet-
ings was held annually, a large shed was built under which
the preachers held forth. The Pantiers, the Rutledges and
126 THE BACKWOODS PREACHER
the Berrys were the prominent campers. My father would
move to the grounds on a Thursday afternoon. Camps
would be built around the shed, and by Sunday the grounds
would present the appearance of a small village.
Back of the camps the women would do the cooking.
Two big logs would be put close together with an upright
forked pole at each end. Across these forks another pole
would be laid, on which were hung the pots and kettles in
which meats and vegetables would cook while the meeting
was going on.
A great drawback and an endless source of annoyance
was the great number of dogs round the camp. Each man
had from one to a dozen, and it kept the women busy trying
to prevent the hungry canines from getting into the dinner.
I remember one camp-meeting when James Berry had a
dozen hounds there and it looked as though they would
break up the meeting. I appointed myself a committee on
dogs. The grounds were covered with a growth of walnut
trees. A green walnut, applied with sufficient force against
the side of a hound, would make him yelp for several seconds
and the sound would travel down the ravine the echo would
reverberate back again.
The preachers got onto the dog racket and determined
to stop it. I had been pelting the dogs one afternoon and
was watching as wrell as praying. Just after I had taken a
good lick at one, Guthrie White ran up behind me, turned
me around and when he saw who I .was, exclaimed in aston-
ishment: "Why, it's one of Bro. Onstot's boys!" "Now,"
said I, "I'm trying to protect these women's cooking from
these hounds, and if Jim Berry don't want 'em hurt, let him
keep 'em at home," Guthrie saw the point and I continued
in the discharge of my duties as dog pelter.
It was the custom at those meetings to feed everybody
that came and this made very slavish work for the women.
There was good singing. The preacher would read the
THE BACKWOODS PREACHER 127
hymn in a loud voice and then would "line" it and every-
body would sing. Music boxes hadn't been invented then.
The preacher didn't ask any of the brethern to "pitch and
carry the tune."
Old Sammy Berry and James Pantier were the oldest of
the members. Berry must have been over seventy and could
talk and shout. He was of a serious turn of mind and
seldom laughed or even smiled. He was a brother of Rev.
J. M. Berry, of Rock Creek. Pantier was very eccentric.
He would sit in front of the preacher and repeat his sermon
as fast as the preacher preached it. Sometimes he would
get ahead and sometimes approve what the preacher said;
again, he would shake a finger at the preacher and say in
a low tone, "you are mistaken," or "that is not so, brother."
He was a faith doctor and could cure the bite of a snake or
of a mad dog. He would take the patient into a room and
rub the wound and mumble some hocus-pocus and the
patient would get well.
There was sound preaching in those days. The preachers
preached hell and damnation more than they do now. They
could hold a sinner over the pit of fire and brimstone till
he could see himself hanging by a slender thread, and he
would surrender and accept the gospel that was offered to
him.
There were a good many rowdies around Concord at
that time. They would get steam up on whisky and go to
the camp meeting to raise a row. I have seen some of these
sinners get under conviction and start to run, and fall down
and lie for hours before they were converted. Nowadays
a church will just vote a sinner into the kingdom, or just
have him hold up his hand, then publish "a great revival."
At Lebanon the camp-meeting was similar to that at
Concord. Old Robert White, and the Rayburns, the Kin-
caids, the Williamses and other were always in attendance.
I believe this was the oldest camp-meeting ground in the
128 THE BACKWOODS PREACHER
county. Neal Johnson was a pioneer preacher in that sec-
tion before I was born. He was a man of large stature and
wac accounted a great preacher. My father was converted
under his ministry, before he moved to Salem, some time
before the winter of the deep snow.
The Old Salem Chautauqua reminded me more of an
old-fashioned camp-meeting than any gathering I have seen
in late years, except that at the camp-meetings they had
prayers at all the tents at sunrise. The voice of song arose
from the tents and then some lusty old brother with a voice
like a foghorn would wake up the natives by giving God
advice and directions how to run this world of ours.
PETER CARTRIGHTS TOMB
In less than two years after the death of Peter Cartright
it was reported by some enterprising papers that his estate
was insolvent and his wife left in destitution. B. F. Irwin,
of Pleasant Plains, replied through the Springfield papers
that Mrs. Cartright had been amply provided for in the
will of Dr. Cartright, and that the probate records of San-
gamon County showed his estate to be worth $50,000.
Several weeks since, a newspaper item went the rounds
saying that Peter Cartright and his wife were buried in a
private graveyard and their graves were unmarked and
greatly neglected and overgrown. This item got into the
Illinois papers quite generally. This was followed by
various comments calling for "Organizing a society to erect
a monument over the grave of Peter Cartright," etc., etc.
Of course, as there are not yet enough little local societies
to give everybody a "treasurership" or "presidency," this
was a "taking" call for a new one, and efforts to organize
began in some places.
THE BACKWOODS PREACHER 129
But Mr. Epler, who is president of the Pleasant Plains
Cemetery, started a denial of this story in the Journal of
Springfield, saying the graves of Peter Cartright and wife
were marked by an appropriate stone in the above cemetery,
that their graves were not in a private burying place, and
that the cemetery was "one of the best kept up ones in the
state."
The facts are, further, that at the time of the death of
Mrs. Cartright there was about $3,000 left of the Dr. Cart-
right estate, to be divided among the heirs. And about the
"unmarked grave," the facts are that two years before Dr.
Cartright's death he had a $600 double monument erected
for himself and wife in the Pleasant Plains cemetery. The
inscription in full for both, except the date of death, was
placed on the stone as written by Peter Cartright. He had
carved on his monument the first text he ever used, as fol-
lows : "Trust ye in the Lord forever, for the Lord Jehovah
is everlasting strength."
There is such a peculiar unfitness of associating the
names of Peter Cartrigh't and his wife with a call for post
mortem charity, that no one who knew either of them and
their thrift and fore-thought would be liable to be deceived.
lUcnard County
CHAPTER XII.
N THE early settlement of Menard County there
were natural divisons that preserved their iden-
tity. East of the Sangamon River there were
New Market, Lebanon and Athens ; west of the
river was "Wolf County," which was bounded on the north
t>y Rock Creek, on the west by the Springfield road, on the
south by Purkapile branch, and on the east by the river. In
this territory lived a population from Kentucky. There
was Case Pemberton, the horse trader; it was as good as
going to a circus to go past his house in trading season.
Horses by the dozen could be seen, awaiting their turn for
•a "swap." He lived there many years, then moved to
Mason County, and finally to California, where, if yet living,
1 have no doubt he is still trading horses. Jack Pemberton,
a brother of Case, was constable for a long time. After-
wards he moved to Mason County and died near Forest
City many years ago.
There was Isaac Schmick, who cleared £>ff a farm in
the center of Wolf, when he could have got a good farm
in the .prairie without clearing it. He had a large ox team
and a plow with a wooden mould-board that could turn
•over just what the yokes on the oxen could bend over.
There were the Tibbses, the Wisemans, the Duncans,
the Hohimers, the Hornbuckles, and others whose names
sixty years of time have obliterated from my memory,
though it is good.
132 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
These were the original settlers. They were a kind
people and would divide their corncake with a friend. They
were fond of the shooting match and the "muster" which
was held once a year ; and at a house-raising or any gather-
ing the Wolverines were always on hand. They would
come to Petersburg in good humor, but after filling up on
whisky were ready for a racket among themselves, though
preferably with outsiders. "George, you have torn my
shirt," said little John Wiseman to Greasy George Miller.
"Yes," said George, "and I can tear your hide, too!" A
ring would form at once and twenty men would stop to see
fair play. The men would pound each other till one would
cry "enough," and that would settle the matter of the torn
shirt.
At Clary's Grove and Little Grove were the Gums, the
Watkinses, the Dowells, the Arnolds, the Bonds and the
Kirbys. They would come to Petersburg on a Saturday
afternoon, twenty-five or more in a body, "strapping big"
fellows, bare-footed and riding their three-year-old colts
barebacked. On they would come with a dash, single file,
whooping and yelling, "Jess" Kirby in the lead. A band
of Comanche Indians could not give the warwhoop more
lustily than "Jess" and his gang. After riding around
the court house square several times they would face up in
front of a saloon and get their breath ; then one of the crowd
would challenge the world in saying that his "hoss" could
beat any other "hoss" that ever made a track in the 'Burg
for $10. This was a bluff. They had no intention of run-
ning. Then they would tie their horses to the hitchracks
and do their trading, which consisted mainly in getting
something to drink or a plug of "terbacker."
About this time the boys from the north would begin
to arrive. The Clarys were in the majority. Bill Jones and
Royal Armstrong had a lot of boys and in a short time they
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 133
would arrange a wrestle or a jumping match, or some
amusement that required an exhibition of physical .strength.
Or, perhaps, they would match a horse race to come off the
next Saturday on Joe Watkins' track. The bets rarely ex-
ceeded ten dollars.
The next thing in order was to go in swimming at
the old Elm tree, which was a short distance above the
bridge. There was almost any depth of water there, and
the boys would take their three-year-old colts in the river
to break them. A horse is at disadvantage when in water
over his depth. The boys would take one in, several of
them would get on his back, others would cling to his
mane and some to his tail, and by the time they let him come
out thev -could do almost anything with him. This sport
would last a couple of hours and then, back to town. Every
man to his horse, and after galloping around the square
"Jess" Kirby would strike for Tanyard Hollow with a
warwhoop and a yell, and the Grove boys were gone until
the next Saturday. The Wolf and Sandridge boys were
not under such good control and went home as they pleased.
I often wonder what kind of men these pioneer boys
made. Have their lives been spent in dissipation, or have
they made men of honor and integrity, whose children rise
up to call them blessed? Many of them I have never met
since boyhood, when we were all reckless. Some of them,
I know, have been among Menard's honored and respected
citizens.
Family feuds were common in the early days. Over
some imaginary wrong or insult one family would become
arrayed against another family and it required only a spark
to kindle a flame. I recollect two families, one by the name
of C— — , the other by the name of W -, who had for
years been nagging each other. One day in the "thirties/
at Salem, the quarrel was renewed. W— - said : "Let's
134 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
go across the river and settle it, once and forever; and let
no person go across with us." C agreed to the proposi-
tion. The crowd went to the river and not a man was
allowed to go over with the combatants. They stripped and
fought like beasts till both were down ; then those who were
on the Salem side of the river thought they should be parted,
so they went over and made them shake hands, and they
were friends from that time. W never saw a well day
afterwards and died in a year or so as the result of injuries
received in the encounter. This incident is given to show
the kind of civilization that was predominant in those days,
though many of the old citizens never had to contend with
its barbaric customs. Only those who trained in that class
were subject to its conditions.
As Governor Palmer said at Old Salem Chautauqua.
last August, the horserace, the gander pulling and the shoot-
ing match had to give way to the Chautauqua. In coming
years, when the old citizens of Menard shall annually as-
semble on these consecrated grounds with their children
and their children's children, they will have cause to bless
the new order of things.
STORIES OF PIOI^EER DAYS
In December, 1830, it commenced snowing and it snowed
till the middle of February, 1831. It is remembered by
all the old settlers as "the winter of the deep snow." It
created great hardship all over the country. People were
not prepared for it. The feed was out in the fields; the
stock did not have sheds to protect them; the roads were
impassable; the tops of the corn shocks could just be seen.
We lived in the west part of Salem before we moved
into the hotel. My father had a team of horses and a
cow and had a few acres of corn on Thomas Watkins'
farm, a mile west of Salem. The roads were covered from
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 135
four to six feet deep with snow with a hard crust on top
that would let a horse down through, though a man could
walk on top. Father would start out in the morning and
be gone all day and dig out enough corn fodder to feed
two days. It snowed__eyery da_y for two rnontlis and the
track that was broken one day would be filled the next.
Every person now living who was born before that
winter is called a "Snow Bird." I was born just before
and have my snow bird badge which was given me at
the Old Settlers' meeting at Sugar Grove four years ago.
I prize it very highly and would not trade it for a hundred
wild turkeys running at large in Oregon.
I don't recollect the deep snow, yet I have heard it talked
about so much that I sometimes think I saw it.
. There was very little traveling in those days. It was
all the snow birds could do to stay at home. There was
not much to travel for. The farmers had their bread and
meat at home. If they ran out of meal they had their
hominy mortars at home and could soon make some coarse
meal. They had salted down their pork that was fattened
on acorns. They did not take a daily paper as we do now.
I doubt if there was a daily paper taken within the bounds
of Menard county. Indeed, I doubt if there was a daily
paper printed in the state.
But it kept on snowing until the snow birds began to
wonder if it was going to snow all summer. In February
it began to thaw and the waters raised till they measured
higher than they ever had before or since the days of Noah's
flood.
The country then was full of deer, wild turkeys and
prairie chickens. The snow would not hold up the deer;
their sharp hoofs would cut through and they would sink
down, while the wolves could travel on the snow and de-
vour the deer. The deer finally got so thin that the wolves
could find nothing but hide and bones to pick. That winter
nearly cleaned the deer out. The other game did not fare
so badly.
136 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
THE COLD DAY IN J837
Things ran along smoothly after the deep snow till
December, 1837. This day I recollect as well as if it was
yesterday. It had been a warm, drizzly day. My father
had cut a tree in the back part of the yard and us kids were
carrying the wood to the house. There was nothing in air
or sky that showed signs of an approaching storm, when,
quick as a flash, an awful cold wave swept over the earth
at the rate of sixty miles an hour. It came on without
any warning. The mercury fell 100 degrees in less than
five minutes. Hundreds of people all over the state were
caught out and unless near some house were stricken down.
Their clothes that were wet froze so stiff that they were
unable to walk. It was the time of year when hogs were
being driven to Beardstown to be slaughtered and sold.
Several droves from Menard county were on the way and
part of them were frozen on the prairies, and the men
driving them had to seek refuge in the nearest farm house.
There was no telegraph in those days and the number of
people that were frozen to death will never be known.
This cold day formed another cycle and things were
dated before and after the cold day in 1837.
Granny Spears, who officiated at more than half the
births within a radius of a dozen miles of Clary's Grove,
always rode horseback. She had been captured by the
Indians in her girlhood and spent several years with them
before she was rescued. She learned many of their cures
for diseases. She had good success in doctoring children
and had many remedies. Some of the old settlers will doubt-
less remember Granny Spears' salve and other medicines.
She followed her calling till over 90 years of age. I recol-
lect her as a little old woman whose chin and nose came
nearly together. She was the mother of George Spears
and was a very useful woman.
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY 137
In the "forties" there were in Menard county two old
soldiers who had fought in the Revolutionary War. One
was Daddy Boger, who lived in Wolf county. He was a
small man and made baskets. People would buy his baskets
to help him. I don't know whether he got a pension or not.
He would come to Petersburg every Saturday. He always
carried a bushel basket on each arm — baskets made of good
white oak splits. He would sell his baskets as soon as he
got in town, then do some trading and after resting awhile
would start home. The other soldier, who lived north of \
Petersburg, was old man Short, the father of James Short. '
He was a good turkey hunter. Wild turkeys were very
plentiful in the Sangamon bottom. About a half mile east
of his house he had a pen built of logs and covered with
brush, in which there was corn, and when the turkeys would
come close enough he would fire into them. One evening
James Short went down after him and found him with his
leg broken and sixteen turkeys dead. The old man was so
excited that he forgot and his gun kicked him over and broke
his leg. There were about fifty turkeys and they had come
within fifty feet of him. Just as they discovered him and
raised their heads he took them in the neck.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE GREEN FAMILY
LD BILLY GREEN," as he was called in the
"thirties," was perhaps one of the oldest set-
tlers. He lived about a mile south and a mile
west of Salem. A half mile north of his house
was a large branch that flowed all the year around. It
was called the "Purkapile branch." A mile farther on and
it emptied into the Sangamon. A mile above Salem Mills,
north of the branch, the woods were filled with a growth
of timber from eight to ten inches in diameter. A little
to the north and forty rods east stood the Baptist Church.
It must have been built some time in 1820. It was used
also for a schoolhouse. Here is where I went to school
for five years; Uncle Menter Graham was the teacher.
Most of the time he lived in a brick house a half mile north.
On the south of the branch the soil and timber was entirely
different; the soil was black and covered with a growth of
sagetree, with some large red oak, ash and elm, with no
under brush. The ground was covered with a fine coat of
grass a.nd as the road from the branch to old Billy's was
up an incline for a half mile I used to think it was like Para-
dise, especially in sugar making time, with hundreds of
sugar troughs catching the sap, and the Green boys — rGaines
and Jim — with a sled and one horse gathering up the sugar
water to be boiled. And there the large apple trees that
nearly hid the house always attracted attention. They
must have been set out in an early day and always bore
a fair crop of large red apples, and they were all good eat-
ing apples, if I can testify. Here lived Uncle Billy Green
and his wife, Lizzie. Here he raised a large family. Uncle
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 139
Billy was a quiet man that never had any difficulty with
his neighbors. Gaines and Jim generally done the trad-
ing with the neighbors. They had a large amount of wood-
land, of trees of the first growth. No woodman's axe
had ever cleft the forest. About once a year in August
a storm would pass through and leave an immense amount
of limbs broken off, so Gaines and Jim would sell it to
the Salemites. Aunt Lizzie Green was a woman who-
made her mark in the community. I recollect her as a
very zealous church-worker. The Baptist Church, north
of the branch, was for many years the religious center
of the community; it fact, th,e hardshells were the most
numerous of any denomination. Among their preachers I
remember Crow, Bagley, Fosters and Centre. One of
their sacraments, which has now gone out of use, was the
washing of feet. Christ said, "I have washed your feet, ye
ought also to wash one another's feet," and while we are no
theologian and never made it a study, we would like for
Brother Curry or some other sticker for ancient customs to
inform the community when foot washing was abolished.
At the monthly meetings we have seen the brethern and
sisters sit on a long bench and remove their shoes and
socks, and one brother with a basin of water would wash
their feet, (and would remark that some of their feet
needed washing) ; and then Lizzie, with a towel, would
follow up and wipe them. This was all done in good order.
Again we ask Brother Curry to inform us why feet are not
washed now. As we said, Green raised a large family.
There was Felix, who lived just west of the Baptist Church;
he was a man of some force. We recollect Felix coming
one time to the schoolhouse to settle a little scrap with Cousin
Menter, and came out second best. Felix Green also had a
large family. His oldest daughter, Polly, married Alex
Pemberton. His son, Beaurope, it will be remembered, was
hung on a black jack tree in Forest City twenty-five years
ago by a mob. There had been some horse stealing and
14° HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
Beaurope Pemberton was implicated. Most all the actors
in that mob have passed in their checks. Felix Green had
a son, Evans, who was a rather fast young man. I will
deal mostly with the first generation of the Greens. There
was "Slicky Bill" Green, as he was familiarly called, who
was perhaps the best known of any of the Greens. He got
an education at Jacksonville college, went south after he left
Salem, but came back and in 1852 lived less than a mile
from Forest City. When I moved on the prairie I worked
for him some in that early day. He often gave me good
advice how to get along in the world. I once cut his
meadow on the halves with a scythe.
There was Nancy Cox, who died in Manito about forty
years ago, and Frankie Armstrong, who lived near the old
Green homestead, the mother of a number of sons and
daughters. There was Nult Green, who married Nancy
Able. They lived in an early day adjoining Forest City.
They had a boy Johnny Green, who was as small as Tom
Thumb, and for years exhibited him on the road. Johnny
was smart and a great favorite with the people. There was
Robert Green, who I think moved to Texas. Next was
Gaines, a prominent farmer of Mason county, who died
a few years ago. He married one of Joe Watkins' daugh-
ters, and was one of Menard's most respected citizens.
James Green went to Texas in an early day. Sallie Green
had one hand that was palsied. She married Jerry Twom-
bly, a Yankee, who lived just west of Frankie Armstrong,
and Mary married William Centre, and may be living yet.
Menard county is settled up by families I used to know.
One family has increased till there is now a dozen families
of the same kinship. They keep multiplying and the surplus
find homes in western territories. Their farms descend from
father and son. In Mason county it is very different.
The land does not descend to the same family when death
or removal makes it necessary to divide up a homestead.
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 141
Some German, who by thrift and economy, has saved up
his money, is a competitor for the land and the rightful
owner of the soil goes west.
A PIONEER GONE
We learn by the daily papers that William Green died
at his home in Tullula last Sunday. As we haxe known
him for sixty years, we may be pardoned for a few recol-
lections. We remember him first as a young man when
Salem was in the height of its glory. His father lived one
mile west of that historic town, and had a large family —
mostly boys. William was the second son and never worked
on the farm, but took a course at Illinois college, Jack-
sonville. We recollect him at Salem as connected with
the immortal Lincoln. He always had a tact and talent
for making money — what the world terms shrewdness.
From Salem he went to Tennessee, where he lived a num-
ber of years and married. He returned to Illinois, and in
1848 settled where William Neikirk now lives and built
the house that now stands there. He was the money king
of this county, and any man who needed money could
always be accommodated, though the rate was often 5
per cent a month. He told us that he scarcely ever lost a
debt, and that the man would always find him on hand
early in the morning. He was identified with early religious
organizations in this section, and when the first Sunday
school was organized here, at a private house, Mr. Green,
by his presence and financial aid, helped the good work
along. Born and raised a Democrat, he voted that ticket
until the beginning of the war when his personal friendship
for Lincoln made him an ardent Republican ; and during the
war he was one of the President's trusted advisors. As a
business man he was strict and exacting; as a neighbor he
was kind and accommodating, as all the early settlers here
will testify. He died at the ripe age of over four score
years.
142 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
THE WATKINS FAMILY
Away back in the "twenties," before I was born, the
Watkins families settled in what is now Menard county.
There were several families of them. Tom and Joe,
"brothers, deserve more than ordinary mention.
Tom Watkins settled west about half way between
Salem and Petersburg. He owned a large tract of land be-
tween Mentor Graham's and the Pollard farm, on the north.
He was tall and as straight as an Indian. He built a large
"brick house in a beautiful grove of trees, where he raised
a large family. His eldest son, Joe, was a frequent visitor
in Salem in the tfarly days, but became dissipated and died
while young. He was never married and went the way of
Bill Berry and others of his time. During my first school-
ing at the old Baptist Church, near Felix Green's, Joe
Watkins still came to school.
Henry Bale married Scynthia Watkins, John Ritter
having married the eldest of the Watkins family. John
Warefield married Sally, and Tom, who died this spring,
married a Goldsby. I saw Tom every day at the Old Salem
Chautauqua last fall, with his wife. He appeared to be
proud of her, and one day he said to me : "Onstot, I'll
give $10 in gold to any man on this ground that can show
a prettier woman than my Mary, who has lived with me
for 50 years," and nobody took Tom up.
McLain, who has been a cripple for sixty years, still
resides near Petersburg, and Bent, the youngest, died sev-
eral years ago. So Tom Watkins had quite a family.
One of his peculiar occupations was dealing in race
"horses. He had a breed of small horses that could run a
quarter of a mile like a streak of lightning. He had a
track west of his house, where he trained the horses, and
a high spot about half way gave him a good view. On any
fair day Watkins would have his horses on the track to
run, while he watched their manoeuvres. I think he did all
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 143
this for his own gratification, as I don't recollect of his
running1 for money with other sporting men.
Tom Watkins always had money to loan at 10 per cent
interest, the lawful interest of that day. The last time I
was at his house was when the Chicago & Alton was in the
course of building. He was much excited about them cut-
ting the right-of-way through his timber. "Just ruining
all my timber," said he, "cutting down all my young wal-
nuts." He had enough timber to have supplied him 1,000
years and rails only $i a hundred.
Joe Watkins, his brother, lived on the edge of Little
Grove. There was no resemblance in their looks. While
Torn was tall and slim, Joe was a very heavy man. He
would weigh 300 pounds. You could always find him
sitting on his porch in pleasant weather. He was king
among the dwellers of Little Grove. He kept a race track
known as "Old Joe's Track," and many a dollar has been
lost and won on that track, and many a hard fought battle
after the race was over. I recollect Bill Jones undertook to
whip Gaines Green after a race, and came out second best.
Joe Watkins, while not so well off as his brother, Torn,
was "well heeled." Joe had two boys, Bill and Beve. They
married Elizabeth and Sarah Armstrong, daughters of Hugh
Armstrong. These boys had the same chance as other boys
to get a common school education, but neglected to improve
the opportunity. I made out a check for Beve about thirty
years ago. He had bought $1,100 worth of stock near For-
est City, and asked me to write the check and sign his
name. I was surprised, and asked him if he could not
write. He said, "No, I never learned when I had a chance."
Jo'e Watkins, like his brother, Tom, raised a large family,
and did his part in multiplying and replenishing the earth.
They were good pioneers, and done much in developing
the county. The future historian will give the Watkins
family due credit.
144 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
Old Johnny Watkins, who lived on the line between
Clary's and Little Grove, was a forty-second cousin of the
other Watkins families. I remember him as a jolly old
man, and a great story teller. My father used to buy a
dozen trees of him in the spring for stave timber, and then
cut them and peal the tan bark and sell it for enough to
pay for the trees.
I remember Uncle Johnny had a madstone, and could
cure mad-dog bites. The stone was not much bigger than
a dollar, and he kept it in milk to soak all the poison out.
If a person had been bitten the stone would cling tight to the
wound till it was full of poison and then drop off, when it
was soaked in the milk again and this repeated until the
poison was drawn out. The stone was given to Uncle
Johnny by a friend in Pennsylvania when he started for
Illinois, and kept getting smaller. It was also good for
snake bites, though most people now use whisky instead,
not realizing that whisky has bitten thousands to one it
ever cured.
There was another Watkins family, cousins of Tom and
Joe. We will speak of Sam as a representative man.
Sam lived the latter part of his life near Oakford. He
has been dead for ten years. His personal appearance was
striking, a well built man, rather heavy. He wore a slouch
hat and a red flannel shirt with the front opened, disclosing
a hairy bosom. He was given to running horses, too, as all
the Watkins were. Sam was always on the lookout for
victims, and had no trouble finding them. He would get
possession of some fast horse, and turn the animal on pas-
ture until the hair would lay forward and his mane and
tail were full of cockleburs and Spanish needles. Having
secured a horse of this kind that had a fast record, Sam
went to Peoria to attend the races, and played the dudes out
of a large amount of money. We are indebted to Sam Corn-
well, of Havana, for the following account of "how Sam
done it the first day of the races."
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 145
Sam stood around with his hands in his breeches'
pockets, watching the horses and laying his plans. The
second day he staggered up to the crowd and said, "I don't
think you've any fast hosses here." The dudes thought
they had caught a tartar. "Have you got anything, old
hayseed, that can beat them?" said they. "I don't know,"
said Sam, "but what if' I could find a hoss that could do
it." "Bring him in, trot him out," said the crowd, "and
to make it interesting back him up with $25." "That is a
good deal of money," said Watkins, "but I know George
Walker down in town, and I think I can get the money
from him." "Oh, make it $50," said the crowd, who now
thought they had a green one to deal with, and they kept
on bantering until they got the stake up to several hundred
dollars. Sam's turn now come, and he led them up to
$1,000. The race was to come off next morning. When
Sam appeared on the track with his horse a yell of delight
arose from the crowd. "Old Cocklebur," cried they, "is
that the horse you propose to run against our fine horses ?"
"That is my hoss," said Sam, "but I want to draw the race.
My rider is as drunk as a devil, and you taking my money
would be worse than stealing.". "You don't get off that
easy," said they, "the race must come off. Hurry up, old
hayseed." Sam took his rider by the foot to help him on
the horse, but the rider still played drunk and fell to the
ground. "No more fooling," said they, and once more the
rider mounted the horse, not drunk this time, but erect
and as fine a rider as ever rode a race, and Old Cocklebur
went round the track ahead of the Peoria horses and won
by 100 feet. Sam's backers, who had been stationed in the
background, now appeared and demanded their money.
The crowd was dumbfounded. "Who arc you, any-
way?" they asked. "I am Old Sam Watkins, of Menard
county; did you ever hear tell of him?" "Sold out by
Cockleburs," said they, "sold, sold!"
10
146
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
SALEM IN J837
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 147
EXPLANATION OF MAP
1 Mill and Dam.
2 Jacob Bales.
3 McNamar's store.
4 The Log Tavern.
5 Dr. Allen's residence.
6 Aleck Fergesson's cabin.
7 Hill's store.
8 Hill's residence.
9 The Carding Machine.
. 10 Martin Waddle.
11 William McNeely.
12 Henry Onstot's cooper shop.
13 H. Onstot's residence.
14 Miller's blacksmith shop.
15-16 Miller & Kelso residence.
17 Road from Petersburg.
18 Road from Mill— West.
19 Springfield road — South.
20 The Lincoln cellar
with the three trees growing.
21 Grave Yard.
22 Schoolhouse.
23 Gander Pulling.
CHAPTER XIV.
OLD SALEM ON THE HILL
HE PLAT of Salem is correct, as the old settlers
will testify, as Mrs. Hill had it in her scrap
book, and as it was published in 1892. It was of
her that J. McCann Davis got it and published
it in his writings in McClure's Magazine for December,
1895, without giving me the proper credit.
No. 2 on the bluff was where Offit and others kept
store, when the store was taken possession of by the rowdies,
and Radford was glad to get an offer for it from "Slicky
Bill" Green, and Green then sold it to Lincoln and Berry.
It is here where the three trees grew up out of the cellar,
which Governor Palmer at the last year's Chautauqua said
were planted by Lincoln, which was one of the many mis-
takes the Governor made, as the trees, by the size of them,
cannot be over twenty-five years old, and it was twenty-
five years after the house was torn down before they were
sprouted. Some tall scenes were enacted at this house while
standing. It was here that the rowdies put old Jordon in
a barrel and rolled him down hill into the river. We sup-
pose he thought "Jordon was a hard road to travel." A
post stands within a few feet of the cellar with an inscrip-
tion as the place where Lincoln and Jack Armstrong had
a wrestling match, which is doubtful, as if such an oc-
currence had happened it would have been up in the town.
The old house has had a history, and though it was a small,
unpretentious building it will pass down in history as the
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 149
building where Lincoln sold goods. The actors have all
passed away. "Though they may forget the singer, they
have not forgotten the song."
No. 3 is where Jacob Bale lived. He was a Kentuckian
by birth, and had a large family. Hardin Bale was the
eldest boy, while Henry and William were younger ; Fannie
was the oldest. She became the wife of James Summers;
next was Sophia, then Mary Jane, and Susan, the wife of
John Sampson. The Bale family was one of the prominent
families of Salem for nearly twenty years. Jacob was a
man of not much education and finally became a preacher,
we suppose, because his brother, Abraham, who came from
Kentucky in 1843, was also a preacher. Jacob's house was
the last to be moved away. The well still stands. It was
walled with rock and is now covered with old railroad ties,
and is in a good state of preservation, and is called "Jacob's
Well." Abraham had a voice like a lion. He had a habit
when preaching of grasping his left ear with his hand, then
leaning over as far as he could and lowering his voice. He
would commence to straighten up and his voice would raise
to a high key. He would pound the bible with his fist
and stamp the floor, and carry everything before him. He
created excitement in the first years of his ministry in
Salem. He was a Baptist, though not of the hardshell
persuasion. Hardin was Jacob's son, and was a natural
machinist, and for a number of years ran the carding ma-
chine in Salem. The power was an incline wheel forty
feet in diameter, and oxen were used instead of horses.
The cogs were all made out of hickory wood. I think Jacob
Bale's family are all dead, except Susan, the wife of John
Sampson.
No. 4 was a store house. On the north side of the
street at the head of the hollow, where the road came from
the north, is where Lincoln kept store with Bill Berry and
where since, and later on, McNamar did business. The
150 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
spot is still marked by the cellar. I recollect seeing the
house full of shelled corn before it was torn down. I sup-
pose the corn was shipped down the river by flat-boat. 1
don't know how the corn was shelled, as it was before
shellers came around. The houses on the. diagram were
all on the street that ran east and west. There were a
number of small houses south of the street and east of the
hotel row. Herendon lived in one. He acquired some
notoriety by shooting and killing his wife. Whether acci-
dental or on purpose the people were about equally divided
in their opinions. He was fooling with a loaded gun and
it went off and killed her. There was Nelson Altig and
Napoleon Greer, a justice of the peace, and Johnson El-
more and Alex Trent. I recollect going to Elmore's once
for some sauerkraut. Mrs. Elsmore was taking it out' of an
old churn and a long yarn string came out of the churn.
My brother called her attention to it. She said it was some
of the ravelings of Clara's stockings which she had on when
she was tramping it in the churn. Clara afterward be-
came the wife of Abraham Bale. The vacant spot of ground,
south of the road and east of Jacob Bale's, was used for
horse racing and gander pulling, a sport that has gone out
of date, and if it should now be attempted those engaged
would be indicted for cruelty to animals. Men would often
run foot races on this ground, and even repair there to fight
out their quarrels.
No. 5 was the two-story log tavern. It was built in 1830
by James Rutledge, and kept by him till 1833, when Henry
Onstot, my father, became landlord for two years. It
was the stopping place for travel from the east through Ha-
vana and the western part of the state. It was 16x30, with
an ell 16x20, and was two stories high. Abraham Lincoln
boarded at this hotel all the time he lived in Salem. I
well remember him as a marble player and a quoit pitcher.
He could plump the middle man nine times out of ten, and
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 151
kept the small boys running after marbles. He was a jolly,
good-natured fellow and followed surveying after he quit
merchandising and the postoffice. I have often seen him
shoulder his compass and start out and be gone for two
weeks. He would stay at Jack Armstrong's sometimes for
a week or so. After father moved out Nelson Altig kept
it for some time, and the last landlord before it was torn
dowri was Michael Keltner. He had a lot of big girls,
among which was Catherine, a large buxom girl twenty
years o'f age. About this time Tarlton Lloyd, a rich
widower, aged sixty, lived on Rock Creek, and as is the
usual case with old widowers, was looking around for a
young wife. Catherine thought it a good chance and set
her cap for him. It was a marriage of convenience and
the day was set for the wedding. Keltner was poor, but
the neighbors all helped, and a grand dinner was set and a
large number of guests invited. Long tables were set. My
mother helped cook. Keltner reasoned that Lloyd would
probably live ten years and then leave Catherine a widow
of thirty, and then she would have a good home, a fat dower,
and be comfortable the rest of her days, but the best laid
schemes often fail. Catherine died at forty years, and
Lloyd didn't die till he was 104 years old. An incident
happened at the wedding that I shall never forget. James
Hoey, of Petersburg, was master of ceremonies, and at-
tempted to carve the turkeys with a tight pair of gloves
on his hands. One old gobbler, that was rather tough, while
he was sawing away on it, slipped off the dish on the floor,
where two small dogs went to fighting over it. As there
was a number of turkeys left, the dogs were allowed to
have it.
I thought when I commenced writing of Salem, that
one small article would do, but it appears that when I com .
mence to write a spirit of inspiration hovers over my
pencil.
152 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
THE WEST END OF SALEM
In my writings of old times in Menard it is as it was
when I knew it, not as it was in after years, and my imagina-
tion is just as vivid and fresh as though the incidents only
happened yesterday.
No. 6 was Hill's store. This is the place where
all persons congregated. Hill came at an early day and
was an important personage as long as Salem lasted. He
made a trip to St. Louis in the spring and fall. First going
to Beardstown ; he would then take a steamboat to St. Louis
and would stay a week or so. A stock of goods in those
days would be a curiosity' now. His standard goods were
blue calico, brown muslin, and cotton chain for the weaver.
No luxuries were indulged in. There was no canned fruit
then, no dried fruit, as the farmers brought in dried apples
and peaches. Hill's store was headquarters for all political
discussions. The farmers would congregate there and dis-
cuss the questions of the day. Peter Cartright, who was a
politician then as well as a preacher, would spend hours on
the porch, and by his wit and sallies keep the audience in
an uproar of laughter, and the man who undertook to
Badger Uncle Peter always came out second best. Cartright
was a frequent visitor at Salem and had not then risen to
the zenith of his fame as a preacher.
No. 7 was where Dr. John Allen lived. He came to
Salem in an early day and soon had the leading practice in
the country. He was a Christian gentleman of the highest
type and belonged to the Presbyterian Church. He was
very aggressive in all his views. He soon had a Sunday
school going. There being no school, he would open his
house. After a while the doctor organized a temperance
society, which raised great opposition, even the church
members were his great opponents, the hardshelled Bap-
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 153
tists. Dr. Allen was lame in one leg, and consequently
had a heap of tips and downs in life. While living in Salem
he married Margaret Moore, who lived near Indian Point.
She died about the time he moved to Petersburg, which was
in 1840. He was a good collector. In the fall of the year
he would buy dressed hogs and make bacon of them, and
would send them to St. Louis and thus collect his bills. He
kept at this after he moved to Petersburg, and would salt
down 200 or 300 head.
No. 8 was Hill's dwelling near his store. In 1837 he
married Parthena Nance, a sister of Hon. Thomas Nance,
a prominent man, who lived on Rock Creek, and who died
in the past year.
Across the street in No. 9, lived Alexander Ferguson.
If he had an occupation, it was as a shoemaker. In the
fall, farmers who had taken their hides to the tan yard
the year before, would bring them to Ferguson with the
measures of the whole family. I have seen William Samp-
son come after his shoes with a two bushel sack and take a
dozen pair home. They were very rough and would not
be worn now. Alex. Ferguson had a brother that was a
great fighter. He would fight any man just to show how
good a man he was.
No. 10 was the carding machine, run by Hardin Bale
for several years, before he moved it down to Petersburg
in 1841. Every person kept sheep in those days, and took
the wool to the machine where it was carded by taking
toll out of the wool or sometimes they would pay for it.
They commenced bringing in wool in May and by June
the building would be full. It was amusing to see the sacks
of all sorts and sizes and sometimes old petticoats. For
every ten pounds of wool they would bring a gallon of
grease, mostly in old gourds. Large thorns were used to
pin the packages together. Hardin Bale did not spin or
weave till after he moved to Petersburg. He was a man
154 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
of great energy and a natural machinist. In early life
everything he touched turned into money. In after life
everything went against him.
No. 1 1 was Robert Johnson's, the wheelright. He made
looms, spinning wheels, and chairs, and was a very useful
man in the community. He had two daughters and one
son, Nannie and Amanda and his son Robert. Johnson's
family always camped at Rock Creek. Mrs. Johnson was
very religious and was subject to the "jerks," which was
worse than the shaking ague. After a severe spell she
would be sick for several days.
No. 12 was the residence of Martin Waddle, the village
hatter. No hats were sold by the storekeeper, except straw
hats. Waddle made hats for 50 cents out of rabbit fur,
and hats of coon fur as high as $2. He had one son and
several daughters. There were Jane and Polly Waddle and
the boy's name I have forgotten. I think Waddle had all the
work he could do, though the hats he made would be a
curiosity now.
No. 13 was the cooper shop of Henry Onstot. Cooper-
ing was a great trade then and the best of white oak tim-
ber was close at hand. He would cut a dozen trees in the
spring and have the staves seasoned a year ahead. Bale's
mill used a great many flour barrels and there was a good
demand for country trade. The surplus was sent to Beards -
town and Springfield.
No. 14 was one of the busiest places in town. It was
Miller's blacksmith shop. Everything in iron had to be
made, and the iron had to be forged out of large bars of
iron.
No. 15 was my father's house after 1835. It was a large
log house with a frame room on the west end. The house
was used for preaching. Rev. J. M. Berry preached here
for a number of years. His sermons were always doctrinal.
Final perseverance was his best hold. He would sandwich
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 155
it on some place in the sermon, and he was a great sticker
for infant baptism. After his son, William Berry died, he
was a very solemn man. The only way I could get even
with the old Cumberland preacher was when I rode his
horses to water. I put them through for a mile or so at a
fast gait. No preacher in those days ever rode in a car-
riage. He was always horseback, with a pair of saddle
bags, and he always carried books.
Nos. 1 6 and 17 was a double log house. In the west
end lived Jack Kelso with his wife. He had no children
and was a jolly, contented specimen of humanity. He had
no trade and was ready to do a day's work if wanted. In
summer he depended on his fish hook. He was an expert.
He could catch fish when others couldn't get a bite. In
winter his trusty rifle always kept him in meat. In the
fall he would find enough bee trees to furnish him with
honey. His wife was a sister to Miller's wife. He always
lived well and was a happy man. In the other end of the
house lived Joshua Miller, the village blacksmith. He was
a short, heavy man, and had a son named Caleb and a
daughter named Louisa. He always had plenty of work
and when work was slack he would iron a wagon. Miller's
was the place where the whangdoodle preachers held forth,
but as a preacher in Mississippi said : "It was better to have
a hardshell than no shell at all." I have now endeavored to
picture Salem in its glory, and if James Bale will have it
mowed off next Chautauqua and stakes are furnished, I
will locate where every house stood that I have described.
OLD SALEM UNDER THE HILL
It was once a bustling town. It was the place where all
trade centered. I well remember when it was in its glory.
It was over a half mile long. The main street ran from
the mill west to Miller's blacksmith shop on the right hand
156 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
with Onstot's cooper shop on the left, with Dr. Allen's field
of twenty acres, at the west end of town, and a little farther
on was Menter Graham's brick house, with forty acres
cleared out of the barrens. There was only one street run-
ning east and west, except where the Springfield road turned
south from the log hotel. The Hill's and Bale's carding
machine and Hill's store, with Lincoln's and Green's and
McNamar's and Offtt's stores, formed a nucleus around
which trade centered, while Waddle's hatter shop, Miller's
blacksmith shop, Onstot's cooper shop, Johnson's wheel-
right shop, and Alex Fergesson's shoe shop, made a nice
little humming town.
It was the only town, till Petersburg began to grow, be-
tween Havana and Springfield, with Sangamontown eight
miles north of Springfield and Athens about the same dis-
tance on the east side of the river. The transformation of
the name of New Salem to Old Salem may not be under-
stood by all. The original name of the town site was New
Salem. In the course of time there was a Salem in Mason
county, and a postoffice by the name of New Salem, and
when the Chautauqua began to arouse importance there
was a danger of getting names mixed, so it was wisdom
to call the oldest Salem, Old Salem, and so the historic
spot where old Abe spent the formation part of his life
goes by the name of Old Salem.
The mill was built by Cameron and Rutledge as far
back as 1825. It was a lively place, though now in these
days of rollers and patent flour it would be out of date.
In those days people went to mill on horseback; if a farmer
wanted to send four sacks to mill he sent four boys with
a two bushel sack on each horse, and it was sometimes said
that he would fill grain in one end and a rock in the other
end to balance. It might have been the case when it was
a jug in one end. Fancy, if you please, forty horses hitched
up the sides of a steep hill with their heads forty-five de-
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 157
grees higher than their hams, and forty boys fishing or in
swimming, or playing fox and geese on the bottom of the
"Miller's Half Bushel," and you have a good idea how the
boys spent their time when they went to mill.
My uncle Sampson would come to mill in his wagon.
He had old Rock and Slider for the wheel horses. He did
not use check lines. He rode Rock for a saddle horse and
then he had Yona, a black mare, he brought from Vir-
ginia, hitched to the end of the tongue, that was ten feet
longer than the wheel horse, and with a single line he would
make old Yona keep the wagon straight. He would start
to mill with one of his boys and a week's provisions and
never go home till he got his grist ground.
The mill ran all the year. Jacob Bale was the owner
as far back as I can recollect, and his boys, Hardin,
Henry and William, run the mill. There were bushels of
corn ground to one of wheat. People used corn bread
six days in a week, and on Sunday morning, if we children
had been good all week, then WTC had biscuit and preserves.
The meal was used principally for corn dodgers. Two
quarts of meal were mixed with cold water, with a little salt
added, and the cook would grease the skillet and make three
pones that fit in the skillet, and as the finishing touch would
give it a pat and leave the print of her hand on the bread,
and then with a shovel of coals on the skillet lid, would
bake it so hard that you could knock a Texas steer down
with a chunk of it, or split an end board forty yards off-
hand. Milk and mush or milk with corn bread crumbled
in. was the diet the kids were raised on.
The destruction of the mill and dam has been complete.
I supposed the dam was fixed for all time and that after
the mill had been burned that the dam would stand for a
thousand years, and that the water would spurt through
the rocks till Gabriel should sound his trumpet.
The dam was built of stone in cribs made of timber,
158 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
and more than 1,000 loads of stone were filled in them.
Where all the stone has gone is a mystery, and now, like
Jerusalem, not one stone is left on another.
In 1832 a steamboat, the Utility, came up the Sangamon
as far as the mill and laid there a week. Hundreds of
people came from miles around to see the boat, and though
now it would be considered a very slim pattern for a boat,
it attracted great attention. It was a stern wheeler and
not over 100 feet long. Salem was then the first town after
leaving Beardstown and many air castles were built, and
Salem was to be a great river port. This incident gave a
boom to Salem and most of the building in the town was
the result of the visit of this boat. In a year or so the
Talisman, a large boat, a side wheel boat, came up and went
up above the dam as high as Springfield and came back.
About this time Petersburg was laid out and John Taylor,
who was the proprietor of Petersburg, bought the boat and
dismantled it. The engine and boiler were used in the first
steam mill at Petersburg. It was old style and its "cough"
could be heard for miles around. A large business was
done at the mill for ten years, till the boiler was burned out.
John Webb run it last. It was both a saw and grist mill.
And so Salem began from Rutledge & Cameron's mill
to grow into a town of considerable importance. It had
. a large share of the trade north of Rock Creek, around west
to Clary's Grove, Little Grove around north, Concord and
the Sandridge on the east, Indian Point, New Market and
Athens, and those that came from these localities were the
Tibbs, Wisemans, Hohimers, Hornbuckles, Purkapiles, Mat-
tlings, Goldbys, Wynns, Cogdalls from the south ; from the
west was the Berrys, Bones, Greens, Potters, Armstrongs,
Clarks, Summers, Grahams, Watkins, Gums, Spears, Con-
overs, Whites, Jones; in the north, Pantiers, Clarys, Arnv-
strongs, Wagoners ; on the east were Smoots, Godbys, Rig-
gins, Watkins, Whites, Wilcoxs, Clarks, Straders, Baxters,
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
159
and a host of others. Most of these have passed in their
checks, but their children still occupy the farms. In Mason
county, if a farm is for sale, some German is sure to grab
it up, while in Menard it is kept for generations in families.
The men I have named were visitors at Salem from the deep
snow till 1836, when Petersburg began to compete for their
trade, and the mill and carding machine still held their
custom. The inhabitants were all from Kentucky and Vir-
ginia and laid a good foundation for future generations.
CHAPTER XV.
OLD SETTLERS' DAY
HE attendance at the twenty-eighth annual re-
union of old settlers of Menard county, held in
Tallula on Wednesday, was not so large as
those of former years, many doubtless being
kept away by the unpropitious weather. Rain interfered
seriously with the exercises, both in the morning and in
the afternoon. Addresses were made by Rev. H. P. Curry,
of Petersburg, and T. G. Onstot, of Forest City. Both
were of a reminiscent nature and were especially interest-
ing to the old-timers. The rocking chairs for the man
and woman who had resided longest in the county, con-
tinuously, were awarded to W. C. ("Top") Green and Mrs.
Mary Beekman.
Rain brought the exercises to an abrupt close in the after-
noon, and secretary John Tice's necrological report and
other features of the program were omitted.
Following is the synopsis of Mr. Onstot's address :
Fellow Citizens and Old Settlers of Menard County :
I feel highly honored to be with you today. I suppose I
am one of you. In fact, I am a "Snow Bird'' — born in
Sugar Grove in 1829, while the Indian wigwonis were st-'ll
among the Salt Creek bluffs — cradled in a log cabin on a
farm now occupied by Henry Marbold, my father having
settled there in 1825. My first recollections of life are of
Old Salem, which was then called New Salem, and which
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 161
was then the central city of what is now Mcnard county.
The mill on the Sangamon river, built by Cameron and
Rutledge in 1824, was one of the first improvements in the
central part of the county.
The early pioneers were composed of two classes. The
first were God fearing men and no sooner had they built
their cabins and cleared a few acres of ground than they
erected a log schoolhouse with clapboard roof, for the edu-
cation of their children and for holding religious meet-
ings. This audience, composed mostly of the third genera-
tion, know but little of the hardships and privations your
fathers and grandfathers underwent. Your mothers and
grandmothers were as great heroines as your fathers and
grandfathers were heroes. I shall call to your memory
many names worthy of mention; many whose names are-
worthy to be written high on the scroll of fame. Many of
these are no more with us to help celebrate this day, but
the good influences of their useful lives and good examples
are with us.
Clary's Grove, with Little Grove on the north, was
among the first settled. You will recollect George Spears
as an early settler. He built the first brick house in the
grove and was an influential citizen for many years.
Near by Spears lived Robert Conover. His first wife
died in an early day and he married again and moved near
Petersburg.
"Uncle Jimmy" White will be remembered by the first
settlers. He had a large family of sons and daughters.
Guthrie White was one of the finest preachers in Central
Illinois, but he got to fighting the Catholics and virtually
butted his brains out against a stone wall. The people once
elected Uncle Jimmy to the legislature.
John Kinner was a son-in-law of White. He had 1:ie
finest bellflower apples in the county, but I never liked his
way of bringing them to town. He had them tied up in
two bushel sacks to keep us boys from sampling them,
n
162 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
Isaac Bell was another son-in-law of White. Other
noted men in Clary's Grove were Theodore Baker, William
Beekman, John Haley Spears and William Spears. A little
farther north lived Jesse Gum, a little old man who always
came to town in an ox cart. "Uncle" Jesse had a large
family of boys. John B. Gum died in Havana six years
ago. He built a hotel in Petersburg and was county sur-
veyor at an early day.
A little farther north Joe Watkins had settled, away
back in the "twenties." He was a very large man and
you could always find him sitting on his front porch. He
had a race track east of his house.
The early settlers did not make prairie farms, but would
build their houses in the edge of the timber and make a
clearing. I well recollect when the open prairie ran from
Rock Creek north to Oakford; when hundreds of cattle
ranged the open prairie ; when a farm could be opened with-
out grubbing.
Concord, three miles north of Petersburg, was settled
before 1830. Samuel Berry, James Pantier, Jack Clary,
Reason Shipley, Jack Armstrong where the first to cast
their lots in this locality. The Cumberland camp ground,
to which the surrounding country would move bodily once
a year for a week's outing, will be remembered. James
Pantier was an eccentric character. He was a faith doctor
and could cure snake bites and mad dog bites.
Another prominent citizen near Concord was James
Short. He was the man that bid off Lincoln's surveying out-
fit and then made Lincoln a present of it. Short's father
was a Revolutionary soldier. East of Concord lived my
uncle, William Sampson, who came from Virginia. He
had eight boys. Hannah Sampson, his wife, once killed
a deer. She was making maple sugar and had heard the
hounds for an hour on the track. She saw the deer coming
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 163
towards her and stepping behind a tree with an axe, as it
ran passed she dealt it a heavy blow and killed it.
Russell Godby lived farther north. He was of the old
Virginia stock and a Jackson Democrat, an'd was always
chosen chairman of Democratic meetings.
A few miles east and we come to Sugar Grove, the
home of Bill Engle. He was a great talker and trader.
Bill never let any man get ahead of him.
Charles Montgomery was an all-round man and could
do most anything. My father once had the toothache for
a week and there was no doctor nearer than Springfield.
He took a hammer and a punch and set it against the tooth
and told Charles to knock it out. Charles did not want
to try it, but was persuaded to do so. Drawing back for
a good lick he struck my father a hard blow on the chin.
After he got over his fright he tried again and knocked the
tooth out.
Among the early settlers at Sugar Grove were the Alkire,
Power, Propst and Meadows families. South of these, Jake
Williams, John and Jeff Johnson, the Kincaids, Riggins,
Rankins and Rodgers. These were pioneers of char-
acter and integrity. Most of them have long since climbed
the golden stairs, but their children are chips off the old
tlock and have taken up the battle of life where their
fathers laid it down.
We now cross the river and come to "Wolf." Wolf is
"bounded on the north by Purkapile branch, on the east by
the Sangamon river, on the south by Rock Creek, on the
west by the road to Springfield. It was called Wolf as far
iDack as I can recollect.
The early settlers of Wolf were the Tibbs, Wisemans,
Hornbuckles, Purkapiles and Kennedys. They made their
farms in the barrens when as good prairie land as there is in
the county was still vacant.
One of the great yearly gatherings was the Rock Creek
164 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
campmeeting. Elihu Bone was the largest camper. I have
seen him feed 150 for dinner and go to the stand and an-
nounce that he had plenty left.
Two of the greatest men of that early day were Abra-
ham Lincoln and Menter Graham. Lincoln came -to Salem
in 1831. There he lived for seven years. He was like
Moses, preparing himself for the great mission he was to
fill in after years. My father kept the village hotel from
1833 to 1835 and had Lincoln for a. boarder, during most
of the time he lived in Salem. Lincoln followed surveying,
kept grocery store and was postmaster. He succeeded
vSamuel Hill as postmaster. Hill kept whisky for sale and
the women who went to the postoffice complained that
Hill would wait on his whisky customers first and keep
them waiting for their mail; so they go up a petition to
have Hill removed and Lincoln appointed in his place.
Lincoln grew up among the rowdy class, but never acquired
their vices, though Herendon's life of him would convey
the impression that he was immoral and an infidel and a.
man of low tastes and habits.
Menter Graham taught school within the bounds of
Menard county for over fifty years and no doubt educated
more men, who made their mark than any other; and so I
think Uncle Menter ought to occupy a high place in the
hearts of the old settlers. There are other men that deserve
mention, among them Billy Green, the grandfather of the
present Green family, who settled on his farm in the
"twenties," Hugh Armstrong and Ned Potter. Armstrong
died before 1840, while Ned lived to be an old man.
Levi Summers lived west of Salem. The central man
in the community was old Tom Watkins. He lived in a
large brick house and kept about a dozen race horses. The
last time I saw him was when the Chicago & Alton rail-
road was being built through west of his house. He was
much excited. "The plagued railroad," said he, "is running
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 165
through my grove and cutting down all my young walnuts."
His son, "Little Tom," as we used to call him, was a soldier
in the Mexican war.
From 1830 to 1840 Salem was in its glory. Samuel
Hill's store was the place of gathering. On his front porch
politics were discussed. Once a week Peter Cartright came
to town. He was a politician then. He defeated Lincoln
the first time for the legislature, in 1846. Lincoln beat him
for Congress.
One of the prominent settlers of Salem was Dr. John
Allen. He came from the east in 1832. He was a prom-
inent member of the Presbyterian Church. His first work
was to form a temperance society and he found his worst
opponents among church members, most of whom had their
barrels of whisky at home.
Another center of interest in Salem was the carding ma-
chine, run by Hardin Bale. The motive power was a large
wheel forty feet in diameter. It stood on an incline of
twenty-five degrees and a couple of oxen on it could run all
the machinery. Martin Waddle was the hatter; Robert
Johnson was the wheelright; Joshua Miller was the black-
smith ; Henry Onstot was the cooper ; Alex Fergesson was
the shoemaker.
THE FOUNDERS OF PETERSBURG
George Warberton and Peter Lukins were the original
proprietors of Petersburg. George Warberton was an old
bachelor, and was a man of fine attainments, and clerked
for merchants in Salem and Petersburg, but was addicted
to the drink habit, and a delerium tremens' life finally be-
came a burden and one morning he was found drowned
in the river near the mill. It was very low, a person could
wade across it, and where he was drowned the water was
not over three feet deep. He had walked out on a log and
1 66 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
fell face foremost and did not look as if he had ever moved.
Warberton and Lukins had sold out to Jep Taylor a few
years before the county seat had been located at Petersburg.
Peter Lukins was a shoemaker, and like Warberton, was
a dissipated man. He lived north of the Presbyterian
Church, in a small frame house that was plastered on the
outside, instead of weather boarding, and for several years
did all the cobbling for the town. He, too, died by his own
hand.
An old toper, who lived west of Salem, by the name of
Joe Fairfield, who got drunk every time he went to town,
came along one evening and called me out to him. I was
six years old, and he pulled out his bottle and said : "You
have got to drink." My father saw him and forbade me.
"I'll give you a whipping," said old Joe. I broke away
from him and hid in an old dry kiln till he was out of sight.
I never saw my father so angry ,and he told Fairfield never
to offer one of his boys liquor again.
A TRIP TO PETERSBURG
Tobe Kirby landed us safe in Petersburg Tuesday
evening, December 20, 1899. Next morning we started out
to renew old acquaintances, and went to the Observer office
and with Mr. Parks spent a pleasant hour discussing men
and measures, after which we went to the postoffice to
see Tim Beekman, with whom we became acquainted years
ago. Tim used to come to Forest City to buy cattle for
the Menard county farmers, and he asked many questions
about the men with whom he became acquainted twenty
years ago. Some had died, others were still alive, but not
selling cattle. Same old Tim, though a little more fleshy
— (feeding out of the public crib had been some help to
him). A trip to the court house to see Theo. Bennett, a
schoolmate. He has been clerk since the winter of the deep
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 167
snow, and as a Democrat, never dies nor resigns. He
will hold the office for years to come. The county officers
have cause to feel proud of their new court house. All
are accommodated with good rooms with all conveniences
in modern style. Thanks to the good farmers who pay taxes.
We called on Jasper Rutledge, the newly elected sheriff,
another of our friends of pioneer years. Jasper referred
to our article about Jim Berry's hands that gave the woman
so much trouble at the campmeeting, and endorsed what
we had written about them. If I were a citizen of Menard,
a good comfortable office in the court house, with it guar-
anteed for twenty years, would suit me first rate.
Wje ran across Ed. Laning, and he insisted on our
going to dinner with him at the Smoot Hotel. We had been
too well raised to decline. Ed. was a saucy little lad when
we first came to Petersburg in 1840, but managed to keep
up with the rest of us boys. Ed. referred to one of our
letters a few years ago, when we spoke of the fine residences
around on the hills as belonging to lawyers, and that we
had said that they toil not, neither do they spin, yet Solomon
in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. Ed,
said it was true.
Next we made a visit to our old home. Sacrilegious
hands had so nearly obliterated the original design that we
hardly knew it. The old house had been moved back and a
new front had been built. Mrs. Gibbs kindly showed us the
old part, which still stands, but the "old home ain't what it
used to be." We met many old friends.
We found the people eager for our writings. "How
long." asked one, "are you going to keep them up?" We
told him that we were like Mary. Her mother had been
chiding her about kissing John so much. "Why, mother,"
said she, "it appears to do him so much good and it does
not hurt me a bit." If we can make others happy and it
don't discommode us any, why should we not contribute to
1 68 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
their happiness? Life is short at the farthest, and if we
can strew flowers, instead of thorns, we should do so.
We have been writing a history of Mason county the
past year and expect at the close of 1900 to put it in book
form, and will sandwich a few of the Menard letters in the
publication. As Andy Johnson once said, "Look at Peoria,"
so I say look at Petersburg.
Petersburg, with all thy faults, I love thee still.
IN MEMORIAM
It is with a feeling of sadness that we heard of the
death of that Christian hero, William J. Rutledge. He had
lived an eventful life, but the battle is fought, the victory
won and he is crowned at last.
He had lived his four score years and was ac-
quainted with the majority of the people in Central Illinois.
He was of a tall commanding appearance. You were favor-
ably impressed with him at first sight. He was the oldest
member of the Illinois conference. He entered the itinerant
ranks when very young on the west side of the Illinois river
and, like Uncle Dick Haney, was a connecting link of the
past with the present.
He was styled the poetic preacher and could repeat the
hymns of John and Charles Wesley to a finish. He was
stationed at Havana in the "fifties" as presiding elder. His
parentage dates back to old Virginia and three generations
back to the Revolution.
William J. Rutledge possessed all the characteristics of
a pioneer preacher. In his early ministry he preached in the
log cabins, swam rivers to get to his appointments and
shared all the privations of the pioneer. He never read his
sermons. He hadn't time to read them for the lightning of
his eye went flashing along from pew to pew nor passed a
sinner by.
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 169
His conversational powers were greatly above the aver-
age and it was. a very unappreciative audience that he could
not interest. As a chaplain in the late war he caught the
dying messages of the expiring soldiers and transmitted
them to their friends at home. He was one of Lincoln's
most trusted friends and was often sent on an errand of
great importance. Brave as a lion and gentle as a dove.
He commanded the respect of friend and foe.
It was related that at Vicksburg he went out to have
his morning devotion, with his trusty rifle by his side, and
hearing the brush make a noise, he saw a rebel about to get
the drop on him, but Rutledge was to quick for him and laid
him low and then went on and finished his prayer. His
whole life was full of thrilling incidents.
I don't recollect of ever meeting a more sweet spirited
man than William J. Rutledge, a more devout Christian
or a better citizen than he was. But he is gone from earth
and its toils and cares. And when the roll is called up yon-
der no purer or brighter spirit than William J. Rutledge will
answer the call.
CHAPTER XVI.
/
HISTORY OF PETERSBURG SIXTY YEARS AGO
N 1840 we moved to Petersburg, and were the
first to leave Salem. In that year more than
one-half of the residents of Salem moved to
Petersburg, \vhere the county seat had been
located. John Taylor had secured possession of the land,
and the price of a lot now would have purchased then the
best eighty acres in Menard county. My father bought two-
lots in the branch on the east of Bale's carding machine.
The branch ran through the center of the lots, taking at
least one-third of the ground. Petersburg was then the
only town between Havana and Springfield. The first point
of interest as you entered the town from the south was the
steam mill, which was built somewhere in the "thirties."
The engine was a large one, and was taken from the
steamer, Talisman. Its cough could be heard for a mile.
It operated a sawmill and two pair of buhrs. The first
saw was an up and down pattern. If a man wanted to
build in the spring he would have to get his logs to the
mill the winter before. A couple of yoke of oxen and a
bob-sled was the means of hauling them. By spring several
hundred logs would cover the ground in the vicinity of the
mill. The miller kept several yoke of oxen to draw the
logs up where they could be loaded on the carriage. He
also kept a large cart to haul logs with when there was no
snow on the ground. I think the wheels were ten feet in
diameter. The cart would straddle over a log, the log swung
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 171
under the cart near the middle, so that it would not bear
much on the ground. The logs would be sawed by spring
and the lumber hauled out by the owner and stacked up to
dry. It would be nearly a year after the tree was cut be-
fore the lumber was ready for the carpenter. It cost three
times as much- then to build a house as now, where all the
material you use is ready to be put together. The corner
posts of a h6use in early times was 8x8s, and it would take
a carpenter a day to make one.
The grist mill was in an ell south of the sawmill. It
would now be considered a rough affair. For flour there
was a pair of French buhrs, with a rude bolting machine.
The flour came out in a long box, 10 or 12 feet long, and
when the grist was ground the miller, with his paddle, would
cut off one-third. This was fine flour, the next third coarse
and the last was the shorts, which was used to make pan-
cakes. If we had been good children through the week, we
would have biscuits for Sunday, with some peach preserve ;
or if company came at any time during the week we might
have some biscuits, but the corn bread dispensation had not
then expired. When I mention corn bread I mean corn
dodgers, and as I told you in a former article what corn
dodgers were I will not repeat it.
The mill stood one hundred yards south of the elevator,
and there were no houses south of the mill. We will now
skip over to Main Street, and commence with Chester Moon,
who lived on top of the hill on the west side of the street.
Moon was a saloonkeeper and a great hunter. Many a
large, fat buck graced his table. I recollect we once played
a joke on Moon. Some the boys had a jumper-sled one
winter that had a seat dressed with deer skin, with a large
pair of horns. South of his house was a large hazel thicket ;
we located the dummy deer there so that its head and neck
showed plainly. Moon got up the next morning and soon
discovered the deer ; he ran for his rifle and shot once, twice
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
and thrice without scaring the deer; he then made a closer
examination and found that he had been fooled.
A little farther north was where Chas. Brooks lived;
he was a tailor. He had a large family. Brooks died some
thirty years ago, while Mrs. Brooks lived many years after.
Across the street on the east lived A. D. Wright. He
was a man of some prominence. He had been a merchant,
but at the time I write he was county judge. He was a very
popular and affable man. He always went by the name of
A. D., though I never knew what A. D., stood for. His
wife was a daughter of John Cabanis, of Springfield. Old
man Cabanis was a strong Whig, while Wright and Hiccox,
his son-in-laws, were Democrats. Somebody asked him
why it was that he, being a Whig, had such strong Demo-
crats for son-in-laws? Cabanis replied that God Almighty
gave him his daughters, but the devil gave him his son-in-
laws.
The next house north of Wright's was Kurd's. He was
a Fuller by trade, and had come to Petersburg to work for
Hardin Bale. No sooner had he moved in town than I,
who was a Whig politician, interviewed his son, Jewett, as
to his political proclivities. He was non-committal. Not
knowing my sentiments he remarked that "Our family don't
take sides."
Across the street was Bale's carding machine, which was
the busiest place in town. It was a large two-story build-
ing and I think it fronted on Main street 150 feet. Every
person kept sheep. Store clothes had not then come into
fashion. The sheep would be sheared by the first of June,
and the wool taken to the carding machine. Bale wrould take
toll out of the wool, or they would pay cash for the carding.
The wool would be brought tied up in sheets or blankets,
with a gallon of grease for every ten pounds of wool. I
ran Bale's picker for a year or so. The picker took out the
dirt and burrs. Bale kept adding on machinery till he had
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 173
quite a factory. He carded the wool, spun, wove it, filled it
and colored it; then run it through his shearer and took
the knap off of it; by that time a good article of broad-
cloth was made. In the meantime, Bale's factory had grown
to such dimensions that a steam engine was added
and a pair of French buhrs, and Samuel Hill also
became a partner. A large business was done, but mis-
fortune came to Hardin Bale. His large factory was con-
sumed by fire with not much insurance. He then moved
up to the mouth of the branch, near the old South Valley
coal shaft. Not prospering here as he did at first he started
for Pike's Peak, with machinery to work for gold, but be-
fore he got there he met hundreds of teams returning. He
turned back and as he was crossing .the river at Beardstown
his machinery was sunk in the river.
West of Bale's place on the side of the hill lived John
Bennett. He was one of Petersburg's early merchants. He
had come from Virginia, and was one of the F. P. V. John
Bennett once represented Menard county in the legislature
and also filled other offices. He invited the legislature once
to his house. I helped to make the ice cream for that
honorable body. John Bennett was a good citizen and
neighbor. He had three boys, Tom, Dick and Harry. They
\vere my schoolmates and were good boys. Dick was tram-
pled to death by a horse. Tom died 20 years ago. Harry
kept a drug store in Easton, but died many years ago; so
the family of John Bennett are all gone.
Just west of John Bennett lived James Carter. He was a
cabinetmaker. In those days there was plenty of good
timber in the county, such as the finest walnut trees, lynn,
birch, birdseye maple and cherry, large enough for table
leaves. I have seen cherry planks three feet wide, and white
walnut was a very fine finishing lumber.
In the south part of town on the street leading towards
the river in the early "thirties," lived James Taylor, a son
i/4 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
of John Taylor. I don't think he followed any particular
business; he appeared to be a gentleman of means. He
lived there several years, and then moved back to Spring-
field. He was a lover of fine horses, and generally kept
a number of fine rigs. He could be seen when the sleighing
was good with a load of school children taking them to
school or bringing them home. James Taylor lived in style
and was a gentleman of leisure. He also extended his
courtesies to married women by taking them driving, a
custom which we think has gone out of date.
Among the early inhabitants of the south end of town
were two brothers, George and Isam Davidson. George
died in Mason City a few years ago, while Isam moved to
Lewistown in 1841. They kept store in Petersburg in 1840.
Isam had two sons who made their mark in the newspaper
world in after years. James Davidson, trie eldest, was, I
think, the homliest mortal I ever saw. His mouth was on the
side of his face and he was "real-footed" in both feet. He
was droll in his manners, but a splendid writer and an able
editor. After spending a quarter of a century in Lewis
town, he moved to Carthage and published the Carthage
Republican till the day of his death. William Davidson still
lives in Lewistown and is proprietor of the Fulton Democrat,
a fearless and independent Democratic newspaper.
The Colby Brothers, wagonmakers, lived over the
branch, just west of the C. P. & St. L. railroad. They
came in an early day. Near by was the blacksmith shop of
Martin Morris, one of the best smiths who ever hammered
iron. He was a fine worker on edge tools. After he quit
the shop Robert Bishop used it for a gunsmith shop. Bishop
made rifles form the raw material and stocked them.
On the branch lived Henry Onstot, whose dwelling was
on the south side of the branch, and whose shop was on the
north side. He often worked as many as four men and the
surplus work of his shop was hauled to Springfield or
Beardstown.
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 175
John Taylor had a packing house in Petersburg for
several years, and used many barrels for lard and hogs-
heads for shipping bacon.
Now we come to the business block of the town. Just
north of Joseph Pillsbury's and fronting on Main Street
is where all the stores of the village were located. For a
number of years all the stories in town were in this block.
On the south corner was the store of John Taylor, which
was the largest in town. The main salesman in this store
for many years was his nephew, James Taylor, and cousin
to James Taylor, spoken of in the first part of this article.
He was a tall, good-looking man, who was afterwards elected
sheriff of Menard county, but did not live long. Tay-
lor's store was well stocked with the kind of goods used
in those times. Taylor would go to St. Louis twice a year,
in the fall and spring. After he had been a week a number
of horse and ox wagons would load up at Petersburg with
bacon, lard, butter, beeswax and whatever produce had been
taken in and go to Beardstown, where is would be shipped to
St. Louis. By that time the goods would arrive at Beards-
town and would be brought back to Petersburg. It would
take four days to make the trip. This was before the days
of railroads and the present generation has but little idea
of the difficulties their fathers had to endure. Taylor's store
was heated by a large fireplace that would take in four feet
of wood. They would buy hickory wood, ten feet long, and
James Taylor would spend his spare time in cutting it.
I think Taylor had the largest trade in the town.
The next room on the north was kept by a number of
persons. The first persons whom I recollect were the
Davidson Bros., George and Isam, though they vacated it
in 1840. George was very careless in his dress and man-
ners, while I. G., as Isam was familiarly called, was the
opposite. I. G. kept his boots so black and slick that a fly
couldn't light on them and stay there. One day his son,
176 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
James, had been into some mischief, and his father got after
him with a whip, and the lad ran, jumped out into a mud-
puddle in front of the store, where he dared his father to
come after him. His father did not venture into the mud.
The next building on the north was occupied by Sep-
timus Levering, when first built as a store room. He moved
to Springfield about the time the county seat was located
at Petersourg, and the building was then used for a court
house for several years and became a historic character.
The old settlers of Menard will recollect the legal battles
that were fought under its roof. There were Abraham Lin-
coln, John T. Stewart, Ben. Edwards, E. D. Baker, Murray
McConnell, Stephen A. Douglas, and a number of other in-
tellectual giants who attended court in those early days —
men who had won their spurs in many a legal encounter.
We asked Robert T. Lincoln in his office a few years ago
why such able lawyers did not practice in the circuit
courts now, and he said the reason was that corporations
and railroads retained all the able lawyers for their own
use. Bob at that time was attorney for the Wabash rail-
road at a salary of $20,000 a year. The house was small
— about 20x40, with a railing that cut off the west end for
the judge and the lawyers, leaving the east part of the
house for the audience. This house served the county till
the court house was ready in 1844. Court would open up
Monday afternoon, after the lawyers would get in from
Springfield, and would be ready to adjourn by Friday. The
old court house was used for religious meetings. Revs. J.
M. Berry, John G. White, George Barrett and numerous
other ministers preached there. Political meetings were
also held in the building. It was the only place in town
to hold public gatherings until the little Presbyterian Church
was built, which still stands north of Rule's livery barn.
Yes, the old court house has a history.
The next building north of the court house was occu-
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 177
pied by Miles & McCoy. Miles moved to Petersburg at
an early day. His family occupied the house m the south
part of the town, afterwards occupied by Hardin Bale. He
only had three children. James, Elizabeth and Ann, who
became the wife of William Herendon. Lincoln's law
partner, McCoy, was a brother of Miles' wife. They came
from near Springfield and kept a good stock of goods and
had an excellent trade. I went to school with Miles'
children. After going out of the merchandise business,
Miles lived in Petersburg till his death. McCoy went back
to where he came from.
One door north was a saloon kept by a man named
Adams, which did not have a very good reputation. Many
scenes of disorder and lawlessness were enacted there. For
a good while this was the only saloon in town, and as
liquor was sold in most of the stores at twenty-five cents a
gallon and was carried home and drank there, people did
not like to pay ten cents a drink for it, yet on public days
the saloon was liberally patronized. Men would get drunk
and raise a fuss under the slightest pretext, and fight and
brawl with their neighbors.
In the north corner of the block James and William
Hoey, two Irishmen from the ould sod of Ireland, for
years kept store. They were both bachelors, and kept their
stock of goods in the front part of the house. The two
were as different as brothers could be. William' was a get-up
and dust fellow, and was the business man of the firm. He
was rather rough in his manner, while his brother, James,
was a refined gentleman. James was the "best man" at
the wedding of Tarleton Lloyd and Catherine Keltner at
Salem, spoken of in a former letter. The Hoeys had for
a housekeeper a large, fat Irish maid, who went by the
name of Becky Hoey. She done their cooking, washing and
other work.
Across the street opposite Hoeys lived Dr. Richard Ben-
nett, a brother of John Bennett. The Bennetts had come
12
1 78
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
from Virginia before 1840. Dr. Bennett kept a hotel for
many years, and practiced medicine in the early days. He
raised quite a family. His eldest son was named Sandy.
He died in the early days, while Theodore still survives and
has held the office of circuit clerk for the past twenty-four
years. Dr. Bennett occupied a prominent place in the
community for twenty years.
In the same block was a two-story house, where Chester
Moon kept a saloon, and Rial Clary succeeded him.
CHAPTER XVII.
EARLY TIMES IN THE CAPITAL OF MENARD
HILE Salem was settled mostly 'by Kentuckians,
Petersburg had a mixed population from all
the states, though the Hoeys were the only
ones from the old country, except John Warn-
sing, who was from Germany. He lived with the Taylors
and was the only German in the county, with the exception
of Peter Brahm, who lived north of Petersburg, near Con-
cord. He had three children — Thomas, Nancy and John
A. Brahm, so well known in Petersburg in after years.
I forgot to mention Jacob Laning, who lived in the south
part of Petersburg. He was a tailor by trade, and run a
shop. Tailors made all the clothing then. Charlie Brooks
and Jacob Laning had all the work they could do. No
merchant kept clothing then as now, but kept an assort-
ment of broadcloths and other woolen goods. I have seen
overcoats made out of red and white woolen blankets, but
the most of the clothing was made out of Fuller's cloth,
which was flannel beat up till thirty yards was beat into
twenty yards, and then colored as the owner's taste might
suggest. The every day clothing was made of Kentucky
jeans at home by the good housewife. Dudley McAtee
was a journeyman tailor who worked for Brooks & Laning.
He was afterwards elected sheriff of Menard county, and
married Martha Goodman.
On the corner north of where the Baptist Church now
stands lived Nathan Dresser, who was the first circuit clerk.
180 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
He was from old Virginia, and his wife was a sister of
John Bennett. Dresser was a finely educated man and a
gentleman in any crowd. He had no children. His brother,
Henry Dresser, built the court house. Another brother,
Charles Dresser, of Springfield, was an Episcopal preacher,
and often preached in Petersburg. I well recollect the re-
sponsive reading at his meetings : "As it was from the be-
ginning and is now and evermore shall be, amen and
amen." * * *
John McNeal lived across the street from Dresser. He
was a prominent member of the M. E. Church and was
also a tailor. He came from Virginia. His neighbors
did not like him because he was so cruel to a bound boy
he had, by the name of William Davidson. On the slightest
pretext he would beat the boy, and his neighbors finally took
the boy's part and gave McNeal to understand that the boy
should have better treatment. He had come from a slave
state, and had been used to negroes. McNeal' s residence
was in the south corner of the block, while Hill's store
was in the north corner, and still survives the wreck of
time and stands today as it did sixty-five years ago, though
it now would be considered a small, unpretentious building.
It was, when built, a large and roomy house that Hill had
moved down from Salem in the spring of 1840. He had
been a mercantile king in Salem, and generally had things
his own way. His house was the first store on the public
square, and with the commencement of the building of the
court house all the business houses of the town began to
cluster around that building. Hill lived in the south part
of his building, and used the upper part for his residence.
Here he accumulated a fortune. He assisted Hardin Bale
in his manufactory of cloths and added a flouring mill to
the machinery. Samuel Hill only had one child, John, who
died in Georgia a few years ago, while his wife, whose
maiden name was Parthena Nance, died a year later. She
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 181
was married to Hill in 1837, and was a noble woman. She
will long be remembered for her good works.
The first brick stores built on the square was a double
building about the middle of the block. The south room
was built by John Bennett and the north room by John
Warnsing. Bennett's was occupied by Wm. Cowgill and
Warnsing's by Tilton McNeely, father of Thompson W.
McNeely, still a resident of the 'Burg. These two stores,
with Hill's, did most of the business of the country at
that time, though their goods would be considered incom-
plete at this day.
The next prominent house on the square was Bennett'-;
Hotel, which was on the east side, in the middle of the
block. It was built in 1844; as before mentioned it took
about a year to get the lumber ready for the house. Ben-
nett commenced in 1843; had his finishing lumber sawed at
Shirley's mill on Rock Creek, near the Sangamon river.
The lumber was built up in a dry kiln, and a fire kept up day
and night for several weeks. The lumber was mostly white
walnut, which comes the nearest to pine of any of our native
timbers. For his flooring he had white and red oak ; for
siding black walnut. Bennett had nearly ten thousand feet
of lumber in the dry kiln, and they had kept up the fire
in the kiln for nearly four weeks, when one morning, Eng-
lish John, who had charge of it, stirred up the fire and added
new fuel, when a spark got into the fuzzy lumber and in an
instant the lumber went up in smoke. As the kiln was near
my father's cooper shop I was at the fire. The loss to
Bennett was great, but nothing daunted him and he went to
work and built the hotel the next season. The old Menard
House still stands as a monument to the energy of John
Bennett. It was here at the stable that his son, Dick, was
trampled to death while attending to the horses. It was
at this hotel that Bennett's wife died. She was a sister
of Alex and Phil Rainey. She was a good woman, as
182 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
hundreds of her neighbors and acquaintances can testify.
Besides Dr. Bennett, John had another brother, Wm. Ben-
nett, who was a bachelor and was engaged in making brick.
He had been in business and failed, and finally moved to
Texas, the last I heard of him.
John B. Gum was then a young man, and was county
surveyor. He built a two-story house on the northeast
corner of the public square, and for many years was an
influential man in the county. He had a large tract of land
in Mason county, near Kilbourne, and died a few years ago
at Havana. So one by one the old landmarks of Menard
are removed by death.
Down southeast of the square lived Dr. Regnier. He
moved to town from Clary's Grove. He was a very witty
and eccentric man ; had a large family of girls and one boy.
He was a fleshy man, rather above the average size, and his
wit was always available. One time his horse ran away with
his sulky. The doctor threw out his leg against a sapling
to stop the horse, and as a consequence his leg was broken.
When the leg was being set the doctor kept an uproar of
laughter by his witty remarks. Dr. Regnier lived and died
at his home on the banks of the Sangamon. He had a
large share of the county practice. A cabinetmaker by
the name of Wm. Humphrey lived neighbor to Regnier at
that time, and James G. Davis occupied the two-story house
north of the doctor's premises. The town at this time be-
gan to build up, and around the public square business
houses began to loom up on all sides.
The contract for the court house was let in 1842. No
pine was used as finishing lumber. The stone for the
foundation was furnished by Isaac Cogdal and was brought
from Rock Creek. He had a number of ox teams and there
was probably one hundred loads used. The brick was made
in the north part of town by Charles Goodman and Bill
Bennett. It took two years to finish the structure, and it
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 183
was considered a fine building at the time it was built, but
it outlived its usefulness and for many years before the
present beautiful structure was built was an eyesore to the
people.
Another two-story building was set on the southeast
corner of the square. It was the old Park House, used by
John Taylor in 1842. Before that date Chester Moon and
Rial Clary had kept saloon in it. It was moved down and
fitted up for a store room, and Elijah Taylor used it for a
number of years.
West of the court house, back of Main Street, lived
Alex Trent. He was a carpenter by trade, but did nor
work much at his trade. He had a large business. One of
his sons was a tailor. His name was Anderson. He went
to the Mexican war, and was killed at the battle of Cerro
Gordo. He was a fine looking man, of a good character
and was well respected by all who knew him. The next
son was Ashby, who was more on the rowdy order ; was a
very strong and athletic fellow, and could whip his weight
in wildcats, but his manner of life told on him and he
died at an early day. Hugh and Wemps Trent were the
other two boys. His girls were Nancy and Bell. The
latter married Robert Moore, but got a divorce and then
married Wm. Webb, and is yet living. Alex Trent used to
be a witness on both sides of every case. He would have
a talk with one side and then tell the other side what he
heard, so both side would have him subpoenaed.
Where the Methodist parsonage now stands lived Abra-
ham Goodpasture, a Cumberland preacher. He came from
Tennessee, and married Dulcena Williams. He bought
eighty acres of land in the bottoms, where the railroad
bridge crosses the river. I worked two years for him and
he always aimed to get the worth of his money out of me.
Great crops of corn were raised in the bottom land, though
it overflowed every spring. I think the water in 1844 was
184 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
six feet deep all over the land, and no crop was raised that
year. A man could start at coal branch and go up through
Goodpasture's land ; then run through Bennett Abie's farm,
and land near Bowling Green's house. All the rails would
be carried down and landed in the drifts across the river
from Petersburg. It seems as though the river used to get
higher in early days than at present.
PETERSBURG IN THE FORTIES
Up the hill west of the square a little south of the street
was the little school house where C. B. Waldo taught the
first school. It was a house about twenty-four feet square,
and was reached by a circuitous route among the hazel
brush. Here some of the most brilliant minds of Peters-
burg were educated. I call to mind the Brooks family,
the Lanings, the Miles, the Trents, the Greens, the Elmores,
the Bales, the Bennetts, the Davidsons, the Wrights, the
Hurds, and many others who laid the foundations of their
future greatness here. It was a mixed school that Waldo
taught. He had the primary class, the intermediate and
Latin pupils. There was no free money to carry on the
schools then. The patrons of the school would sign for a
certain number of pupils for sixty days at $3 each, then
they would send all their children and the number of days
would be divided by sixty and the amount apportioned ac-
cordingly. There was no elaborate furniture in the old
school house. On the south side there was a writing desk
that extended across the end of the house, and benches
around the house for the larger pupils and benches in the
middle for the smaller ones. Waldo was supreme ruler of
the school. He was a good-natured man and had but littie
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 185
difficulty in controlling the school. If a pupil was very bad
and would not be reproved after a sufficient length of time
he would be dismissed. I dont' recollect but one pupil who
was sent home. After a few weeks, if the pupil would
promise to do better, he would be re-instated. Waldo's
school had an average of fifty pupils, and he would teach
eight months a year. He finally moved to Mason county
and from there went south where he died forty years ago.
North of the public square commenced to build up with
the erection of the court house. The large brick house
east of the Smoot Hotel was built by G. U. Miles, and
was at that time considered the best house in town. The
little one-story board house next to the depot was built,
by James Miles. Edward Elam built a blacksmith shop
one block north of the court house. This was a place of
some importance. After he moved away his son, W. P.
Elam, carried on the business. He lived west of the house
on the street that ran up Tan Yard Hollow.
John Bennett built the first tan yard. It was just north
of where the Christian Church now stands. There was
about a dozen vats. They were ten feet square and ten
feet deep. The hides were put in, then the bark was ground
fine and a layer of bark on the hides, then another layer of
hides, and so on, till the vat was full. The vats would be
filled in the fall, and would be tanned in a year and then
taken to a shoemaker.
West of Bennett's tan yard, there was another yard
belonging to James Anno and his brother, Tallard. They
were young men and had just come from Kentucky. They
afterwards bought out Bennett and run both yards.
Tan bark was ground in a very crude way. A wooden
wheel ten feet in diameter and two feet broad, with a shaft
through the center, was set perpendicular and the bark laid
in a circular form. A horse was hitched to one end of the
shaft, and a boy for a driver, the wheel would roll around
1 86 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
over the bark until it was ground fine. The outside of the
wheel was filled with cogs that ground the bark. The hides
were tanned in coal ooze.
The road up Tan Yard Hollow was a gradual incline,
and was the best road that came to town from the west.
All the other roads came down a steep hill.
Dr. Allen came to Menard county as early as 1834, and
settled in Salem, where he lived six years. He was not a
strong man physically, but did more to make the character
of the people than any living man. He moved to Peters-
burg in 1840, and moved down the house in which he lived.
It was situated north of where the Christian Church stands.
The doctor was an active worker in the Presbyterian Chruch.
He had hardly pitched his tent in Salem when there was
preaching at his house, and he had not lived in Petersburg
but a few years when he had a Presbyterian Church erected.
It was a small frame house and is now used by S. B.
Bryant as a paint shop, north of Rule's livery stable. This
was the only church building in town until the Methodist
Church was built on the spot where the new church now
stands. Dr. Allen did not live in his many years, but built
the large brick residence on the hill on the site where stands
Hon. N. W. Branson's residence. The house was large
and commodious and was always open to his friends. Dr.
Allen had the largest practice of all the doctors and was a
good collector. In the winter he would take dressed hogs
on his bills and would get two or three hundred hogs at
$1.50 to $2 per hundred weight. He would barrel up
the lard and make bacon of the hogs, and by spring would
have one thousand dollars worth of provisions to take to
St. Louis, hauling it to Beardstown and by steamboat to
St. Louis. By this way he would collect most of his bills.
He doctored in the old style with calomil. If he had a bad
case the patient was most always salivated.
The old-fashioned way of medical practice would now
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 187
seem very cruel and the practitioner would be liable to be
indicted for cruelty to animals. Doctor Allen's first wife
was Margaret Moore, and his second wife was a Chand-
ler. I think Dr. Allen died somewhere near 1860.
Peter Lukins was one of the first settlers of Petersburg*.
He wras a shoemaker. His dwelling was west of the court
house. I remember it because it was plastered outside, and
I think the only house of that kind in the 'Burg. Lukins
was addicted to drink, and was subject to attacks of delirium
tremens. He had a brother Jesse who went to the Mexican
war and was killed. Gregory Lukins, his brother, married
his widow, and died in Sugar Grove about fifteen years ago.
Peter Lukins committed suicide while on a drunken spree.
From 1840 to 1845 the north part of Petersburg began
to grow in the extreme north, where Dr. Antle lived.
John Wright moved here in 1842. He had a contract to
build the first bridge across the river, and moved from
Sugar Grove 'for that purpose. The bridge was a very
clumsy affair. Mudsills were sunk in the earth of a large
dimension and then bents with four posts, twelve inches
square, with a cap on top twelve inches square, were placed,
then stringers lengthwise and a floor of two-inch plank, with
heavy railing, completed the first bridge across the Sanga-
mon river, north of Springfield. This bridge settled the
navigation of the river, as no steamboat could go under
the bridge. After John Wright completed the bridge he
still remained in Petersburg and was a good, influential
citizen. I think Tilton McNeely married one of Wright's
daughters.
Wm. Cowgill was one of the merchants from 1843. He
occupied a double store house on the west side of the square,
owned by John Bennett, while McNeely occupied the build-
ing owned by John Warnsing. On the south end of
Cowgill's store was a ball alley, in which games were played
all through the summer months. I believe the game has
i88 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
gone out of date. It was a very exciting game and full of
exercise. Two or four persons could play the game.
Charles Goodman made brick on the branch in the
north part of town for many years. Wm. Bennett was his
partner. They furnished brick for the court house and all
the other brick buildings in Petersburg. Goodman furnished
the brick for Russell Godby's house, near New Market,
going over there and making the brick on the place.
In an early day Thomas L. Harris came to Petersburg.
He was a slender built man, and was reading law. Haijis'
ability was soon recognized, as he was no ordinary man,
but poor and had a hard struggle to make enough to pay
his board. I have seen him go out and work in the hay
field to get money to pay his board. He had another thing
to contend with. He was a Democrat, while most of the
leading men at that time were Whigs, who were disposed
to boycott him on account of his politics. He went to the
Mexican war, was a brave soldier and was made a major,
and after he came home he was elected to Congress, but as
he had contracted disease while in the army, he died while a
member of Congress. A man of spotless character, and as
popular a man as ever lived in Petersburg. The old set-
tlers delight to talk of Thomas L. Harris.
Joseph Pearson lived north of the Presbyterian church.
He had a yoke of oxen and a cart, and hauled cord wood
to town for a living, and at times done hauling of various
kinds.
Daniel Staton was an all around man, and was useful as
well as ornamental. He done the hog killing for the neigh-
bors, and here let me remark that hog and hominy were the
chief articles of diet in early days. I think the people used
five pounds of pork then, where they now use a pound.
It was before the days of meat shops and nearly every per-
son had a few hogs.
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 189.
OLD FASHIONED BARBECUES
Away back in the "forties" it was customary once a
year to celebrate the Fourth of July. We did not then have
as many important days as now. The Constitution and the
immortal Declaration of Independence meant something
then. There has been so many startling events since that
I fear we have forgotten the truths that our fathers taught
us, but our Government was founded with a Declaration
of Sovereign Rights, and God grant that we may never
forget the grand lives found in these important Magna
Chartas. And the people met once a year to talk over the
heroic deeds of their fathers, to sing patriotic songs and to
have a good time. Generally several weeks before the Fourth
of July a subscription would be started. One person
would contribute a two-year-old heifer, another a fine shoat
and some turkeys, one person a few loaves of bread, some
a dozen pies and so it would go till a dozen beeves and a
dozen shoats and everything else would swell the eatables
so that the multitude could be easily fed.
Then a number of men to cook the meat would be named.
I recollect that Jim Clemens, who lived near George Spears,,
was generally commander-in-chief. Long trenches, about
three feet wide and two feet deep, would be dug, in which
fires would be placed the day before and on the morning
of the Fourth would be nearly red hot. The beef would
be put over the fire, hanging on long iron rods in quarters.
The pigs would be fixed the same way and the cooking would
begin. General Clemens would give orders to his subordi-
nates to turn the beef and pork every five minutes and a large
jar of melted butter was on hand, well melted, and each
cook had a swab with which he could baste the meat while
it was cooking. The farmers' v wives would arrive with
their share of the bread and pies and cakes and a number
of tables owuld be arranged to accommodate the crowd.
190 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
About i p. m. everything would be ready. The seats
were properly distributed and the citizens from all over the
country had begun to arrive. The marshalls, with their
red sashes, were galloping around town with all the style
of warriors. Andy Moor, of Indian Point, was a military
man. With his old dilapidated silk hat, with a red plume
about eighteen inches high, marshaled the marshals with
as much dignity as a Roman general and would land the
delegation at the speaker's stand, where some Springfield
orator would deliver an oration. It was sometimes the
silver tongued E. D. Baker, and sometimes the lamented
Thomas L. Harris. Before the oration the Declaration of
Independence was read.
This was an important part of the program, because the
reader was to read it loud and clear, so all could hear it,
as he read :
"All Governments derive their consent from the gov-
erned," or "All men are entitled to life, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness." These immortal truths were believed
in and was the base on which the structure was built.
At the dinner, which was always conducted in good
order, some old venerable divine invoked the blessing on
the repast. The orations gave the orator some standing in
the community.
I recollect once in 1842 attending a celebration in Clary's
Grove, in Robert Conover's pasture, which was equal to any
held in Petersburg. Being in a good settlement the farmers
contributed liberally to the dinner. After it was over toasts
were in order, one of which I well recollect, as follows :
Should British Lion ever roam,
Beyond his beaten track;
The American Eagle, with beak of steel,
Will pounce upon his back,
Pick out his eyes and cry: ' ' 'Tis fun ! "
In those early days there were two old soldiers, who had
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 191
fought for their country. One was Daddy Roger, who
lived in Wolf, and the other was the father of James
Short, who lived north of Petersburg. These old persons
were always at the barbecue and were accorded a seat of
honor on the speaker's stand and at the tables.
Barbecues have had their day. They belong to the old
dispensation. They were a kin to campmeetings and regi-
mental musters. After dinner was over then many of the
men got drunk or engaged in running or jumping or feats
of strength. There was a cannon out of the shaft of the
Talisman that was six inches thick and five feet long, with
a two inch bore that weighed five hundred pounds. This
tested a man's strength to shoulder it, and very few could
do it. I have seen Conover Gum and some of the Bond
boys nearly strained their gizzards out in trying to shoulder
it.
It was the custom of the country boys, before they went
home, to go in swimming. They always rode their three-
year-old colts. They always found water below the water
works to swim their horses and so the time was taken up
at the barbecue till sundown and all then departed for home
with the satisfaction of pulling the tail of the eagle and
helping to make him scream.
CHAPTER XVIII. .
RECOLLECTIONS OF PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS
"TIPPECANOE AND TYLER TOO."
HE FIRST presidential campaign I remember
was that of 1840, when Harrison was sung
into the presidential chair. The questions at
issue I do not remember, except that Harrison
lived in a log cabin, drank hard cider and sold coon skins.
There were great gatherings that year. The excitement
was at fever heat and even the little cubs were singing the
praises of hard cider. If a person moved into the com-
munity it was necessary to know his politics in order to
determine his standing.
A number of big meetings were held in Springfield and
Jacksonville that year. Bands of singers would attend and
make the welkin ring with their campaign songs, of which
the following is a specimen :
Come all ye brave lads of old forty
Who rallied around Tippecanoe;
Come give us your hearts and your voices
For great Harry, the noble and true.
The Whigs carried the day, but Harrison died soon after
being elected and John Tyler succeeded him in the presi-
dential chair. No Vice-President that ever took the chair
ever gave satisfaction to the party that elected him and
Tyler was no exception. Millard Fillmore turned against
his party and the Republicans would have crucified Andy
Johnson if they had dared.
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 195
POLK AND TAXES.
Nothing of much interest occurred from 1840 till 1844,
when the slave power needed more territory for the expan-
sion of slavery. "Polk and Texas !" was the cry and singing
didn't count. The country was ready for the annexation of
Texas. Texas was then an independent province that for-
merly belonged to Mexico, but had gained independence,
with the Rio Grande for its western boundary and had
never claimed territory further west.
"Polk and Texas" were triumphant, and the slave
power, flushed with success, sent an army two hundred
miles west of the Rio Grande, on Mexican soil, and pro-
voked a battle and published to the world that American
blood had been shed on American soil. The Whigs, while
denying this, supported the war, as good loyal citizens, and
furnished from Illinois a Baker and a Hardin, who were
killed at Cerro Gordo.
Henry Clay, the idol of the Whig party, was snowed
under by Polk, whose name was scarcely known by the
American people, and the slave power held high carnival
for the next sixteen years. Compromises were treated as
things of no moment. The Whig party entered a weak pro-
test and the free soil party began to grow. The climax
was reached in 1860, when the people rose in their might
and said : "Thus far and no farther !"
There was a great rally in Peoria that year and a good
many Petersburg people attended. They went by way of
Beardstown, from which point they took the steamer Jas-
per to Peoria. They were gone a week.
The tariff cut a big figure in this election. The Whig-
party was in favor of legislating millions of money into
the pockets of the eastern capitalists, just as the Republicans
have been ever since the organization of that party.
There were no telegraph lines nor railroads in the
13
194 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
"forties," and it was six weeks after the election when we
first heard the result. Our folks then lived across the
street from Bale's carding machine. One night about eleven
o'clock George U. Miles and Samuel Hill came and
awakened Bale, telling him that Polk was elected. Miles
was much excited. He had been a Whig but voted for Polk.
They got out a cannon that had been made from a shaft
of the steamboat Talisman. It was about five feet long,
four inches in diameter and had a two-inch bore. It had
often been heard at Springfield. Over one hundred shots
were fired from this cannon that night and sleep was out
of the question. Miles and Hill furnished the powder.
Josiah Hartsell, who was nicknamed "Saleratus," was chief
gunner. About daybreak "Saleratus" got reckless and be-
gan ramming clay down on the charges of powder. Finally
the old cannon burst in a thousand pieces, filling "Saleratus' '
legs and body with fine chips of iron that just penetrated
the skin. I saw Dr. Allen pick out the scraps of iron,
while "Saleratus" begged him to stop, that he was kill-
ing him.
The annexation of Texas soon brought on a war, as the
Whigs said it would. Menard county furnished a company
of which A. D. Wright was captain and it did valiant
service. Only a few of that company are alive today.
Time, with his relentless scythe, has cut a wide swath in
the ranks of those who returned from the field of battle.
After the Mexican war the United States took some
territory and paid the Mexicans $15,000,000.
Thomas L. Harris was a talented and cultured gentle-
man, who came from the east and engaged in the practice
of law. For several years he struggled with poverty and at
times went into the harvest field to work. He distinguished
himself in the Mexican war and after his return home was
elected to Congress. About this time disease began to prey
upon him, and when the vote on the repeal of the Missouri
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 195
Compromise act was taken, Major Harris was carried on his
bed to the floor of the House that he might record his vote
against the repeal. He died before the expiration of his
term. No purer patriot and man than Thomas L. Harris
has been called from labor to reward.
FISH AT SALEM DAM
Away back in the "thirties," before any distilleries were
built on the Sangamon river at Springfield or Decatur, and
before the sewerage from those cities was turned into the
river, there was an abundance of fish in the stream. In the
spring bass, sunfish, catfish, sturgeon, buffalo and suckers
would start up" the stream and would meet no impediment
till they came to the dam at Salem mill. When the river
was high they would go above and stock up the river a
hundred miles further on. In the fall they would come
down and run into the Illinois and Missouri.
At times there was good seining below the mill. I
have seen George, Spears and Jim Clemens, with Spears'
Negro Jim, come down to the mill and seine all night and
catch all they wanted. In the spring of the year the fish
would crowd up below the mill after the water was shut
off the big turbine wheel. They would be so thick that I
have gigged many of them by just jabbing the gig in the
water.
Among the expert fishermen of that day were Jack
Kelso and Riley Hendricks. Jack always fished with a hook
and would make a good catch when other people couldn't
get a bite. He would put a bait on his hook and then spit
on it. Then all the others who were fishing would spit on
their bait and would occasionally get a small fish, while
196 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
Jack would fill his basket with black perch, weighing from
two to six pounds, and then with twenty-five pounds of
fine fish would walk down to Petersburg and sell them.
Riley Hendricks always gigged his fish. He was an
expert at the business. Below the mill, where the water was
boiling from the wheel, the fish would be shooting and
darting about. Riley, with almost unerring aim, would let
the gig fly at a fish and nearly always got it. I saw him
strike and get a sturgeon that was five feet long.
But I have not related my fish story. Catfish were
plenty in those days. Great big blue catfish. They gen-
erally managed to get above the dam in the spring and
were crazy to get below in the fall when the water was
low. The only way for them to get down was to come
through the wheel, which was an upright turbine wooden
wheel. The water came through a wooden box about
eighteen inches in size, to the wheel. When the gate was
raised, and the water turned onto the wheel, some times,,
the wheel would choke down and stop. The miller would
know it was full of fish and would shut off the water and
take out the big catfish. At times there would be fifty fish
in the wheel. Some would weigh twenty-five pounds and
would be bent nearly double to suit the cups on the wheel,
and some would be crushed, so tightly were they wedged in
the wheel. The fish would all be taken out and thrown
in a pile and the neighbors could help themselves. Fish
were plenty in those days and I have not stretched my
imagination in the above description.
MY FIRST PAIR OF BOOTS
In early times there were plenty of tan yards. Hides
were not sold then as now. A man would kill a beef in the
fall and take the hide to the nearest tan yard for tanning.
Near the tail the owner of the yard would scrape off the hair
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 197
and with a suitable instrument put the man's name on the
hide. By soaking the hide in lime water the hair would be
loosened and could be scraped off. Then the tanner would
work on the fleshed side till it was ready to be put in the vat,
filled up with white oak bark, and the water let on, and after
laying all summer, would be worked till it was finished
leather. It took one year to make leather by this process.
Now, I understand, leather can be made in two or three
weeks.
There were two tan yards in Petersburg run by James
Anno and his brother Pollard. John Bennett bought them
out. There was nothing striking about a tan yard, except
grinding the bark. This was done with a large wooden
wheel made of solid timber, about six feet in diameter and
eighteen inches thick, and the surface filled with wooden
teeth. The wheel was fastened on a shaft. A horse at the
other end of the shaft turned the wheel. Bark would be laid
around the circle and the horse would grind the bark till it
was fine. Alternate layers of bark and hides would fill the
vat, which was six or eight feet deep, and thus the hide was
tanned.
There was in every community a man who made shoes.
Alex. Fergesson of Salem, was the man for that community.
I have seen my uncle, Wm. Sampson,^ who had eight boys,
and two girls, come to Fergesson's with a couple of tanned
hides and measures for all the children, and in a couple of
weeks come back with a two bushel sack and get the shoes.
I believe I was the first boy in Petersburg that had a pair
of boots — red top boots. A. D. Wright had a pair of boots
made to order and they were too small for him to wear. So
one day he offered to sell them to me. I was then twelve
years old. I told him I would like to have them though they
were rather large for me. He had three cords of wood,
hackberry and elm, corded up against a fence and he pro-
posed if I would cut one end off for stove wood and leave
198 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
the other end for the fire place I should have the boots. I
took him up, quick. I was three weeks doing the job, but
was the only boy in town with a pair of red top boots. I
had every boy in town helping me cut that wood before I got
it done.
THE OLD SCHOOL HOUSE ON THE HILL
From 1840 to 1846 the school at "Petersburg was taught
in a frame house south of Dr. Allen's brick house on the hill
west of the court house square. Charles B. Waldo was the
teacher. He was a brother-in-law to John Bennett. I sup-
pose he was above the average teacher or he would not have
taught for six successive years. He had Latin scholars
younger than I was, but I never studied Latin. I thought if
I mastered the English language I would be content. Mr.
Waldo was not so strict as was cousin Mentor Graham.
I will try and call to memory some of those who
attended school. There was the Brooks family, Albert,
Lucy, John and others. Albert and Lucy have handed in
their checks. John also is dead. There was the Laning fam-
ily, Ed. and Sarah (wife of Dr. Short of Jacksonville), John,
"B." and Fred. There was Thomps McNeely, who was a
modest boy but we expect his contact with the world has had
a hardening influence on his nerves.
There was Tom, Dick and Harry Bennett — all gone.
Tom, after years of toil and discouragement in Salt creek
bottom, died just before his land \vas sold to the Hergets of
Pekin at a good price. Harry died while keeping a drug
store in Easton. Not a member of John Bennett's family is
alive today as far as I know.
There was Bill Cowgill and a sister, who removed from
Petersburg a long time ago. The Trent family — Hugh,
"Wimps," Nancy and Belle and John. Hugh and William-
son and Nancy and John have gone the way of all the earth,
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 199
while Belle is living in Havana, the wife of William Webb.
There was the Elam family, now scattered to the four
corners of the earth, except Frances, who lives in Forest
City.
There was James Miles, still hale and hearty, who lives
just north of town, and his sister Elizabeth, who married
Chatterton, of Springfield, and Ann Miles, who became the
wife of Lincoln's partner and who, I am informed, is dead.
Fifty years makes a vast difference in a community.
There was the Wright family. Lucy, the widow of
Tom Bennett, is running the Hotel Smoot. Buck and Jack
and Ed. are well known, having been born and raised in
Petersburg. There was the Brahms, who lived north of
Petersburg-, but who came to town to school. The oldest
ft5
was Thomas, who died years ago ; Nancy died a few months
ago. John is in poor health and has moved to Chicago.
A DEER HUNT
There was a time when deer \vere plenty in Menard
county. Jack Kelso was a boss hunter and not only supplied
his own family, but always kept venison hams for sale. Sam
Wilcox was another hunter. .The only difference was that
Kelso used a rifle and could kill a deer at long range, while
Wilcox hunted on horseback and used a double-barreled
shotgun. Wilcox spent one winter (I think it was in 1855)
in Forest City township and kept a wagon running all winter
to Springfield, selling his venison. I think he told me that
he killed sixty deer that winter. I recollect that on one trip
on upper Spring Lake, as the result of a week's work, he
brought home the carcasses of nineteen deer. But the
hounds ran all the deer out of Menard and Mason long ago.
I have seen thirty deer in one drove. They would go out of
Long Point in the evening to Red Oak swamp and back 10
Long Point in the morning. They would travel single file,
2OO HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
walk awhile, trot, and then gallop. Not a deer had been seen
in this section for twenty years.
In 1843 Henry Fields, who worked on the court house in
Petersburg, had a few hounds, and one Christmas he and a
dozen of us boys went after deer. Just below the bridge, on
the east side of the river, the hounds took a trial down the
river. After awhile they crossed the river, then took west
past Concord camp ground, the hunters keeping on the in-
side of the circle. After awhile the hounds turned south till
they passed Petersburg, and as a deer always came back to
where he started from we all headed for the place where he
would cross the river. The deer plunged into the river to
swim across, when a dozen shots killed him. The water was
deep and we were puzzled about how to get him out. Hugh
Trent, who was always equal to any emergency, constructed
a raft out of rails, pulled him out and brought him to shore.
The deer was carried to town and the next day was divided
up into fifteen or twenty shares.
I have seen deer run through the streets of Petersburg
when they did not know there was a town till they got in it.
Deer skins used to be legal tender for all debts, public and
private.
GEORGE KIRBY OF SANDRIDGE
Tuesday morning of this week found us on the C., P. &
St. L. train, speeding south from our home at Forest City.
We stopped at Oakford and found "Tobe" Kirby waiting for
us. "Is this Mr. Onstot?" said he, 'That's my name; is
this Mr. Kirby?" asked I. "That's my name," returned he.
So, with this self introduction, we took passage in his buggy
for his residence six miles east of Oakford. We found him
a very agreeable companion. As we traveled along we
passed a number of fine farm houses and he kindly and en-
tertainingly answered all our questions regarding their
HISTORY OF MENARD. COUNTY. 201
ownership, etc. Also, along the route were school houses,
such as are seen all over the country, where the children as-
semble to get a good common school education to equip them
for the duties of life.
Finally ahead of us there loomed up a big farm house —
big enough for a hotel, where our companion lives and where
we stopped. The occasion of our visjt was to attend the
eighty-sixth birthday anniversary of George Kirby, the
father of our host, whom we had not seen for more than
fifty years. We were kindly, even cordially received.
George Kirby was born in Madison county, Illinois, De-
cember 20, 1812, and came to Clary's Grove, Menard
county, in 1820. We doubt if there are a dozen people now
living who were here when he came. The county was wild
then. Venison, wild turkey and other game supplied the
board tables in the rude cabin of his father, Cyrus Kirby.
It was before any of the great inventions of the age had been
made. There were no railroads, no telegraph, no telephones
no bicycles. It must have been a lonesome time for young
George, growing up at that time, but he did grow up. He
received a common school education, and with his good
common sense made a success in life while others with just
as good or better advantages made dismal failures. He
married Dorcas Atterberry in October, 1834. She died a
few years ago. His son, George T., (our host), now con-
ducts the farm. He is a "chip off the old block" — a fine
specimen of the middle-aged men, sons of the pioneers of
this country.
Among the guests were the venerable Squire D. Masters
and wife, Mrs. Lucy Watkins, (sister of George Kirby),
James Senter, (a son-in-law) and wife, and others. Mrs.
Watkins has passed her ninetieth year.
A royal feast was spread. The fatted calf had been
killed, and Mrs. George Kirby, Jr., and her daughters, left
nothing undone to make the guests feel at home. After
2O2 HISTORY OF MEXARD COUXTY.
dinner all repaired to the sitting room, where a blazing fire
in the old fashioned fireplace, the first we had seen in many
years, made everything look cheerful. "Uncle George" and
Squire Masters regaled the party with anecdotes and inci-
dents of early days, and upon comparing notes we found
that there were three of us who had never drank liquor or
used tobacco in any form.
"Uncle George" Kirby's success as a farmer is attested
by his ownership of 1,200 acres of fine farm land. The
home place is well kept and well stocked by the son, George
T., better known as "Tobe." He is feeding sixty head of
cattle and a fine lot of hogs at the present time. He not
only feeds all the corn produced on the farm but buys as
much more of the neighbors.
"Tobe" has a bachelor brother, Sam, a fine, good look-
ing man in the prime of life. If Sam lived in Mason
county some buxom widow or old maid would capture him
the first leap year that came around. We feel an interest in
him and would help him to get a wife if he would say so.
The men of George Kirby's stamp have made this coun-
try what it is. They have left their impress on their sons,
who in turn have sons that cultivate the moral and intellec-
tual interests of the physical man. Many of the men we have
written about, who lived and died in the early history of the
county, contributed but little to its morals.
We came from the Kirby home to Petersburg in the
evening. The road was quite muddy, but with "Tobe" for
our companion the trip was a pleasant one.
We like to meet these old settlers and as we have lefsure
now will be glad to do so at any time; and we promise to
keep our end of the single-tree up.
CHAPTER XIX.
OLD TIME STORIES
MONG the pioneer settlers of Menard county who
have answered death's call within the past year
were Dulcena Goodpasture and Parthena Hill.
I remember Mrs. Goodpasture from the time of
her marriage — a tall, beautiful young woman of majestic
carriage. She came from a noble family and was a sister of
Jacob and John Williams. As a boy, I had great reverence
for her; she was so kind and affable and made one feel at
ease when in her presence. I had not seen her for nearly
fifty years until about a year ago I met her at McGrady Rut-
ledge's in Petersburg. She had changed greatly, of course,
but there was the same kindly greeting as in the olden times.
I saw her again at Old Salem Chautauqua and the signs of
declining health were plainly visible. The end came in a
few months and this uncrowned queen of earth was re-united
with her husband. When the roll is called up yonder, no
purer, brighter spirit will answer than Dulcena Goodpasture.
It was in 1837 that I first saw Parthena Hill. She had
just been married to Samuel Hill, the Salem merchant. Her
maiden name was Nance, and she was a sister of Hon.
Thomas Nance. She stood high in the circle in which she
moved. She joined the Presbyterian church and was a de-
voted Christian as long as she lived. Mr. Hill died and many
years of her life were spent in the loneliness of widowhood.
I made it a point to call on her when I visited Petersburg,
and was always warmly welcomed. She loved to talk over
old times and more than once spoke about my plat of Salem
2O4 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
and the article about the village which I furnished The Dem-
ocrat in 1892. She had preserved them in a scrap book.
These two noble women outlived their generation. Like
ripened shocks of grain they have been gathered into the
heavenly garner and the world is better because they lived.
When a boy I helped Abraham Goodpasture farm the
bottom land along where the C, P. & St. L. railroad crosses
the river south of Petersburg. The land was new and very
fertile and the corn grew so high that I had. to bend the stalks
down to gather the ears. The bottom land between Peters-
burg and Salem, though it has been farmed a long time, ap-
pears to still produce abundant crops. I saw corn on the old
Able farm two years ago that would make sixty bushels to
the acre.
Goodpasture and I ran a thrashing machine one year.
Not a steam thrasher. Oh, no. It was a horse power of
the primitive kind. We scraped off a round spot of ground
about twenty feet in diameter and when we had ten acres of
wheat to thrash we would haul a couple of loads and lay it
down on this ground and I would ride the horses around on
it until we wrould get dizzy ; then I would turn them and go
the other \yay as long as I and the horses could stand it.
Then Brother G. would say : "While you are resting take
my fork and stir up the grain." I thought it was a queer
way to rest, but generally obeyed. I think we could thrash
and clean about one acre a day. Goodpasture was from the
hilly part of Tennessee and commenced farming in the San-
gamon bottoms. He was a fair preacher; not of the sen-
sational kind, but of the doctrinal sort.
The history of Menard county would be incomplete with-
out an extended notice of Hardin Bale, the eldest son oi
Jacob Bale. As early as 1836 he was running the carding
machine in Salem. He was an expert machinist. The
main building was a frame about forty feet square. A shed
on the north covered the incline wheel which was forty feel
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 205
in diameter and stood at an incline of twenty-five degrees.
On this wheel two oxen furnished the motive power. A
large sill operated by a lever in the side of the mill held the
wheel still, and it was set in motion by letting the brake loose.
The cogs in this machine were all made of wood. With this
rude machinery all the carding machines were run. First
was the picker, which made the wool ready for the first ma-
chine; After going through this it was left in bats ready
for the finisher, and came out in rolls. It was then done up
in bundles and tied up. Hardin took toll out of the wool
after it had been run through the picker. In 1841 he moved
his machine to Petersburg and established it on Main street,
four blocks south of the present court house. Great im-
provements were made. The buildings were larger, the
wheel was nearly fifty feet in diameter, iron cogs were sub-
stituted for the wooden ones, and horses and mules were used
instead of oxen.
In the course of a few years steam took the place of
horse power and machinery for fulling cloth was added ; then
a spinning jenny with one hundred and sixty-eight spindles ;
then weaving machines. Samuel Hill, who always took a
great interest in machinery and Hardin Bale, became part-
ners and a pair of French buhrs were added. The mill now
assumed large proportions and was successfully run till fire
destroyed it in 1865. The ground has since laid vacant.
Hardin Bale came out of the fire considerably worsted,
but he was not inclined to give up. He secured a large
building across the branch by the coal bank and there carried
on the business for a number of years. Among the men who
worked for him many years were Hurd, the fuller, and Caleb
Carman, the carder. These men and their employer have
gone to the country from whence no traveler has yet re-
turned.
Hardin Bale married Esther Summers in his early man-
hood and raised quite a family. His father-in-law, Len
206 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
Summers, was an old settler who lived west of Salem and
was noted for murdering the English language.
Hardin Bale's history is like that of hundreds of others.
For a few years he prospered in every venture, but the tide
turned and misfortune overtook him. He always had a
brave heart, however, and never gave up.
JUDGE JOSEPH H. PILLSBURY
JUDGE JOSEPH H. PILLSBURY
Was one of the early settlers of Menard county. He
was born in 1830, in Stafford county New Hampshire.
His mother came to Menard county and settled there in
the "thirties." It then being but a new county and called
Sangamon.
He was given a good education in Illinois college. He
located in Petersburg in 1854 and read law with the lamented
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 207
Thomas L. Harns. He then taught school. In 1855 he
was elected school commissioner, serving in that capacity
for six years. In 1856 he was admitted to the bar; was
elected police magistrate and appointed master-in-chancery,
which office he held eight years. He was then elected
county judge. He rilled these several offices with efficiency
and fidelity. He was married to Miss Susan M. Gardner in
1861.
Two children, Joseph B. and Susan H., who, with his
devoted wife, survive him. He administered on his own
estate and had all of his business settled when he died. He
had perfect faith in the Lord, having been baptised in his
own home, and died full of years and honors.
CHAPTER XX.
REMINISCENCES OF MENARD COUNTY
T THE session of the Legislature in 1838 — '39,
Menard county was stricken off Sangamon and
named Menard, in honor of Col. Pierre Menard,
a Frenchman, who settled at Kaskaskia. Me
nard was so popular in his day that when the convention
framed the constitution of the state, a clause was included
in the constitution providing that any citizen of the United
States, who had resided in the state for two years, might be
eligible to the office of lieutenant governor. This was done
that Col. Menard, who had only been naturalized a year or
so, might be made lieutenant governor under Shadrick
Bond the first governor of Illinois.
As Menard county was named after this popular French-
man, it might be interesting to give a short account of his
life. He was born in the city of Quebec in 1767, and in
his nineteenth year his spirit of adventure led him to seek
his fortune in the territory watered by the Mississippi. He
soon found employment with Col. Vigo ; in 1790 he formed a
partnership with Duboose, a merchant in Vincennes, and
shortly afterwards removed their stock to Kaskaskia. Me-
nard, though possessed of a limited education, was a man of
quick and good judgment. He was honest and full of
energy and industry, and a leader among the people of his
adopted home. For a number of years he was a government
agent for the Indians and had the esteem and friendship of
the tribes. This secured him great advantages as a mer-
chant. He could buy their furs for half the price they could
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 209
be purchased by other traders. He was a member of the
legislature from 1812 to 1818. He was lieutenant governor
from 1818 to 1822, and after that declined to accept any
further honors from the people. He died in Tazewell
county at the good old age of 77 years. Such was the man
for whom Menard county was named.
The boundaries of Menard county are as follows : Com-
mencing on the east, Salt Creek, north of Irish Grove and
the Sangamon river form its eastern boundary,- on the north
the waters of the Sangamon form its northern boundary, on
the west Clary's Grove, Little Grove and Puncheon Camp
Grove form the western boundary, and on the south Rock
Creek. The Sangamon river flows through the center of
the county from south to north. The county contains two
hundred twenty-five square miles. A number of small
streams flow into the Sangamon and Salt Creek, affording
plenty of fresh water for stock and other purposes. The
surface of the country is generally level, though for a mile
or so back of the streams it is broken. The greater part
of the county, in its native state, was prairie covered with a
luxuriant coat of grass with countless varieties of flowers.
Groves and bodies of timber are interspersed all over the
county in ample abundance for agricultural and manufactory
purposes. Along the Sangamon, for a mile and a half on
either side, the timber was once heavy with white oak
growth, but the woodman's axe has laid the forest low and
the lands have either been brought into cultivation or used
for pasturing the countless herds of cattle or flocks of sheep.
Rock Creek and Indian Point had in early days heavy tim-
ber. In the eastern part of the county Irish Grove and
Sugar Grove had some splendid forests, while in the western
part Clary's Grove and Little Grove had sufficient timber for
its own use. The native timber was white oak, which was
king of the forest, which, with red oak, walnut, hickory,
cherry, elm and many other varieties, made up the forest.
14
2io HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
We counted the number of kinds of timber on old Salem
Chautauqua grounds and found twenty-seven different
kinds. The soft wood along the rivers are sycamore and cot-
tonwood which grow to a very large size, while soft maple
is a very quick growth and is used much for shade and orna-
mental trees. The sugar maple appears to be a natural
growth all over the country, and in pioneer days the sugar
tree furnished syrup and sugar for the early settlers.
The soil -of Menard county is very productive, not only
in the bottom lands, but the uplands are equally productive
for pasture. The farmer only clears the land of the tim-
ber, which is soon set with a magnificent coat adapted to
corn, wheat or oats. For many years the raising and feed-
ing of cattle. and hogs was very profitable to the farmer, but
the high price of pasture land, when brought into compari-
son with the cheap western lands, did not leave as much
profit as the farmer desired, and the Menard farmer now
turns his attention to raising the finer strains of horses and
cattle, and the Norman and Clydesdale and other fine breeds
of race horses, are raised to a profit.
Another great source of wealth to Menard county is its
inexhaustible beds of coal. In the first settlement of the
county small veins of coal crept out at Petersburg and at
the Purkapile branch. The coal was not used for fuel, and a
blacksmith would only have to strip off the dirt two or three
feet deep and get all the coal he needed. The first stoves
used were wood stoves, and the women said the coal would
burn the stove out. The coal is three veins in thickness and
the strata wrill make at least twenty-five feet in thickness,
and in every foot of coal there are twenty bushels of coal or
one million tons of coal per acre. This is of itself an inex-
haustible source of wealth. No nation can succeed without
a supply of coal, as it drives the factories and the commerce
of the world. There are a number of coal mines operated
near Petersburg, furnishing labor for a large number of
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 211
employes and furnishing a home market for a large amount
of produce. The first coal shaft was owned by Elijah Tay-
lor in the fall of 1845.
Stone is not as plentiful as could be desired. There
are quantities of limestone on Rock Creek lying near the
surface that makes excellent stone for foundation, but not
lying near to a railroad, will never be developed for building
purposes, though it makes an excellent quality of lime.
Stone is also found at old Salem and at Petersburg but the
quarries have never been worked. The natural advantages
of Menard county are great, and no locality is better sup-
plied with facilities for manufactory enterprises. There is
also clay of a superior quality for manufactory drain tile.
Brick of an excellent quality is made all over the county. It
it strange that manufactories for agricultural implements,
plows, reapers, wagons and buggies are not made in the
county, instead of paying out hundreds of thousands of
dollars to have them brought from other places.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS
Settlements were first made in Sangamon county before
any white settlement was made in the bounds of Menard
county, and Menard was a part of Sangamon until 1839.
There are conflicting statements as to who was the first
settler. John Clary claims to be the first as far back as
1819, just as it became a state. He settled near Tal-
lula, and Clary's Grove takes its name from him. He built
the first house in the grove and a number of houses were
built soon after. The houses built by the first settlers were
very rude affairs. Not a nail was used, nor a pane of glass.
Directly after Clary settled in the grove the Armstrong's,
212 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY
Green's and Spears' settled west of the Sangamon. Soon
after Sugar Grove was settled. About the same .-time Charles
Montgomery and Alexander Meadows were among the first
settlers east of the Sangamon river. James Meadows and
Jacob Bozer came to Sugar Grove in 1819. They came
from the American Bottom above Alton. Meadows had
one wagon drawn by two horses, one milk cow, and a yoke
of yearling steers and thirty head of hogs. Bozer brought
three head of horses, two milch cows and a yoke of oxen.
The Blaine family came next. This family were of Irish
blood and Irish Grove was named after them. The Blaines
brought two span of horses and six yoke of oxen. They
soon built cabins and were probably in the grove when Clary
settled in Clary's Grove.
The Elaine's took claims, erected cabins, and began to
grow up with the country. As above stated, Meadows had
brought two horses and thirty head of hogs and a yoke of
yearling steers with him to the grove. In a few months the
horses were missing and the hogs strayed away and were
lost. In a short time one of the calves was found dead.
Search was made, as it was difficult to replace the stock with-
out a great deal of expense. Meadows applied to a fortune
teller to learn what had become of the horses and hogs. He
told Meadows that the horses were in the possession of the
Indians and that he would get them back one at a time.
Sure enough, the horses were found in the possession of the
Indians who claimed to have traded for them with a French •
man. The horses were so worn out that they soon died.
The hogs, he told Meadows, had gone down the Sangamon
river and one-half had been eaten. Meadows followed his
directions. He finally found and recovered part of his hogs.
The early settler put a great deal of confidence in fortune
tellers. Soon another caravan of emigrants cyme to the
grove, among whom were John Jennison and William Mc-
Nabb. James McNabb, son of William, taught the first
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 213
school in the county. He was also a surveyor. He was
drowned while trying to swim the Sangamon river with his
compass tied on his head. Soon after Ben Wilcox and
others came from Kentucky. Mr. Pentacost settled near
the place where Marbold now lives. I was born. on Henry
Marbold's farm. My father moved to Sugar Grove in an
early day. The house used to be owned by Alex. Meadows.
Marbold told me that the house stood there till about twenty
years ago. The Indians had their camps along Salt CreeK
and they used to come out to Sugar Grove to get milk. Will-
iam Engle and Leonard Alkire moved to the grove in an
early day. They were prominent farmers and their descend-
ants still exert a great influence to this day. Bill Engle
was an all-around man. He kept a store at Sweet Water for
many years. He was also a great politician, an old line
democrat of the Jacksonian style. Engle and Alkire being
men of means, soon began to buy out claims. John Jenni-
son farmed a year or so in the grove and then moved to
Baker's Prairie. The tide of emigration now began to
flow in, bringing in a host of a hardy and industrious class
of people, forming a thrifty class. The first marriage was
John Jennison to Patsy McNabb. The second was Mr.
Hennar and Rosina Elaine. The third, William' Engle and
Melissa Alkire. The first death was an infant son of
Bozer. The second death was James Blaine. The third
was Joseph Kenney, who was buried in Sugar Grove ceme-
tery and an elm tree grew up out of the grave and is now a
large tree. The first school house was built in Sugar Grove
in 1822, and was built by Meadows, Bayer, Wilcox and Mc-
Nabb. It was built of split logs and was sixteen by sixteen,
covered with clap boards held to their place by weight poles ;
the house was as good as 'any in the country. The seats
were a log split and four pins for legs, a log left out for a
window, the pens all made of goose quills, and the scholars
kept the teacher one-half the time making or mending goose
214 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
quills, and the teacher always carried half a dozen quills
behind ftis ear. The books were the old English readers or
the testament. In arithmetic the scholars hardly ever got
past the single rule of three. Grammar was a dead language
for a number of years till the advent of Mentor Graham in
the country. A grammar teacher organized a class and as-
sisted the scholars in their first lesson. The first preaching
in Sugar Grove was by the Campbellites. William Engle
was a preacher of that order and most of the settlers were of
that order. Peter Cartright used to say that they had a way
to heaven fifteen hundred miles shorter than any other sect
and all the way by water. The nearest doctor was at Spring-
field. Dr. Winn was the first doctor. He settled near
Indian Point and practiced medicine in an early day, but
finally moved up near Waynesville.
Indian Point, about half way between Sugar Grove and
Athens, was the center of a lot of emigrants. This was
settled in 1820. The first settler at Indian Point was Rob-
ert White. Near his house was the Lebanon camp ground.
Old Robert White was a brother of James White, who set-
tled near Tallula. Soon came James Williams. He had
two sons. Jake Williams, a blooded cattle raiser, was the
first man to introduce the short horn cattle. Another son,
Col. John Williams went to Springfield and was identified
with important improvements. Among his daughters were
Canedy Kincaid's wife and Abraham Goodpasture's wife.
The Moore's and the Scotts' were a numerous family. Old
Billy Short came in an early day. He sometimes practiced
law before the lower courts. He was a man of limited edu-
cation and when in controversy on some limited point would
call for his opponent to show the statutes. The settlement
at Indian Point was one of the most important made in the
county, and many of the descendants of the pioneers still
live in the fame of their ancestors. Perhaps there is no
locality in Menard county where as many of their children
and even to the third generation live, as at Indian Point.
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 215
Having thus sketched the centers of the three first settle-
ments in the county, the most important locality was what
was called in an early day New Salem. This was the 'first
town laid out in the county. This town was laid out where
the Sangamon river washes the foot of a hill or bluff whose
sides and level summit were at an early day covered with a
heavy growth of white oak timber. The country back from
the crest of the hill is level for miles. To the westward the
timber continues back from the river for a mile in a dense
forest, beyond which the prairie continues unbroken for
miles.
On the south, Rock Creek, a small stream, but large
enough for the rude water-mill of an early day, comes into
the Sangamon from the west. This creek was also covered
on its sides with a fine growth of timber. Just on the brow
of the bluff, in years long gone by, was situated the village of
New Salem. This deserted village will in time become as
historic as Mt. Vernon. Although the Sangamon will not
compare with the Patomac, yet Salem is as sacred to the
lovers of liberty as Mt. Vernon in all her historic glory.
Many visitors from Kentucky and Tennessee come to the
spot where Abraham Lincoln spent the days of his early
manhood, where he studied law, wrestled and romped with
young men of his age, and where he imbibed principles,
which in after years, made him the idol of the American
people, and where he wrote his name high on the scroll of
fame in tablets more enduring than granite, brass or bronze.
They are disappointed in not finding any vestige of Salem.
Even the old mill at the foot of the hill is gone and scarcely
a vestige of the darrr remains. Only one land mark remains.
This is Jacob's Well. This well was made by Jacob Bale
and is still walled up with rock. It appears indestructable ;
covered with a lot of old railroad ties it remains as a re-
minder of old Salem sixty years ago. Settlements had
been made in the vicinity a few years before Salem had been
216 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
laid out. William Green, Ned Potter, the Jones' and Hugh
Armstrong had moved southwest a few miles, while Tarle-
ton Lloyd had settled up farther to the south on Rock
Creek.
It is reported that Lincoln was one day crossing a field
in which a bull was pastured. The bull, espying Lincoln,
gave chase. Lincoln, seeing that he could not reach the
other side in safety, commenced to run around a hay stack
and soon had the bull in front of him. Seizing the bull by
the tail he now became the aggressor.. The frightened
animal then took across the pasture with Lincoln kicking
him in the sides, first with one foot and then the other.
Giving him a parting kick, he exclaimed : "You son of a
cow, who began this fight anyhow?"
CHAPTER XXL
ANECDOTES OF MENARD
FTER the mill was built at Salem it was a big
thing, and people came from fifty miles around,
and someti'mes waited a week for their grist.
Such was the patronage given to the mill, that
a town was demanded, and so, on the thirteenth day of Oc-
tober, 1820, Reuben Hamison, surveyor, layed out the town
of Salem. The owners were John Cameron and James Rut-
ledge, and they improved the town by building each a log-
cabin, and for a decade the town had an interesting history,
but now nothing remains to mark the buildings but a few
cellars, but the history of Salem will live as long as the mem-
ory of Abraham Lincoln endures. At the time Salem was
laid out there had never been a postofBce in the county, the
people getting what little mail they then received from
Springfield, then a mere village. About this time Dr. John
Allen came from the east. He was a Christian gentleman
and stood very high in his profession. He soon had a Sun-
day school started in a log cabin that stood across the branch
near the grave yard.
Abraham Lincoln came in the summer of 1831 on his
return from a trip down the Sangamon river. This was his
first trip to Salem, though he had passed down the river early
the preceding spring. There is a story of Lincoln boring a
hole in a flat boat to let the water out while the boat was fast
on the dam. The boat was loaded at Decatur with pork in
218 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
0
barrels and some live hogs. The boat ran with such force
upon the dam that the bow ran over and was clear out of the
water and the water in the boat ran forward, so by boring a
hole in the boat at the front it was lightened up and ran over
the dam.
Mr. Offit bought a stock of goods and hauled them from
Beardstown to Salem, set up a store, and engaged Lincoln as
clerk. This was Lincoln's advent to Salem.
Salem now began to build up. There was Jack Kelso,
the hunter and fisherman ; Jonathan Miller, the blacksmith ;
Henry Onstot, the cooper, and Robert Johnson, the wheel
wright ; William Berry, the grocery keeper, and others whose
names are not mentioned. Lincoln raised a company for
service in the Black Hawk war. No member of that com-
pany is now living, though many of their sons are still in
Menard county. They never saw any fighting. Black
Hawk had sold his reservation in Iowa, and white men could
not wait for the details of the sale to be consummated and had
rushed in to get the best lands, and Black Hawk was going
to hold the lands until the treaty was complied with. When
Lincoln was elected to the legislature in 1834 he set out on
foot with only one suit of homespun clothes. Lincoln was
a popular man with all classes of people.
The next settlement of any note was Concord, four and
one-half miles north of Petersburg. The settlement was all
made in the timber. Ten or twenty acres of land would be
grubbed out and fenced, while the finest prairie land in the
world was ready for the pioneers plow without grubbing it.
I don't know why this was done unless they thought they
would freeze to death on the prairie.
The young man of the present day has but little concep-
tion of the manners and costumes of the early settler, and it
is strange how such a complete revolution could have been
made in the last half century. It would be impossible to
give the youth of today a just conception of the clothing, the
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 219
duelling and diet and social costumes, everything having un-
dergone a complete revolution. It may truthfully be said
that the cabins of the early settlers were but little in advance
of the three- faced camp of the first pioneers, the house, being
of hewn or rough logs, the cracks filled in with mortar
made of clay mixed with straw. If the floor was made of
anything else but earth trampled down until it was hard, it
was made of puncheons split out of a straight grained tree
and about four inches thick. It was hewn out with an axe
and then laid down on stumps of round oak and not nailed
down and then crevises large enough for the children to run
their feet through. The roof was covered with shakes held
down with weight poles. For a fireplace one whole end of
the house was taken, the lower part was lined up with stone
or clay for five or six feet. About a cord of wood was neces-
sary for a fire. A buckeye back log and then a fore stick about
half as large set on dog irons filled in with kindling wood.
There was no Such thing as matches in those days, and it
was a customary thing to borrow fire at the neighbors to
start a fire or perchance the old flint rock would be brought
into use to strike fire with. The upper part of the chimney
would be built with sticks laid in mortar. This would often
get on fire in the day, but would be put out before going to
bed. The door would be made of boards nailed or pinned
together, so dear reader, you have some idea of the houses
your ancestors lived in. A buck string was attached to the
latch and allowed to hang on the outside, hence the old say-
ing, "you will always find the latch string on the outside."
As cook stoves had not been invented, a flat oven and a skillet
were the utensils, which, with a teakettle completed the
cooking outfit. The skillet was used to fry the meat in while
the oven was set on a bed of coals, and the house wife would
take a gallon of corn meal and mix it up stiffly and mould it
into shape by changing it from one hand to the other, and
then tip it into the oven, patting it to the desired thickness.
About three of these corn cakes would fill the oven.
22O HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
When the lid of the oven was covered with live coals and
the dodgers baked hard enough to knock a Texas steer down,
the imprints of the fingers would be left on the corn cakes.
This made the dodgers a legal tender. Lye hominy was
also an article of diet which no well regulated household
could afford to dispense with. Sugar was unknown except
where the sugar trees abounded. Honey was found in the
timber everywhere as the bees held undisputed sway. Pre-
serves were made with honey from grapes, crab apples; etc.,
but they were only opened when company came, and then we
also had biscuits, but corn bread, honey and hog was the
chief diet.
The clothing was of the simplest kind in early days. The
men wore pants of buckskin, caps of coon or fox skins, while
the feet of both sexes were covered with the moccasin. Cot-
ton goods were very scarce and difficult to get. The men
raised flax and rotted and broke it, the women would then
spin and weave it and make it up into garments. It was al-
most useless to have sheepon account of the numbers of black
and gray wolves that roamed the timbers and prairies, and
would destroy whole flocks of sheep in a single night. So af-
ter they began to raise hemp and flax the people began to ap-
pear in a better garb. This made good underwear, also towels
and tablecloths. When the people came to this new country
they brought an immense lot of clothing with them that
lasted for several years. In an early day it did not take as
many widths of cloth for a dress as now. I have known a
farmer to buy a bolt of factory cloth and have it colored
orange, and then have it made up for his family. Girls
from five to sixteen all had an orange colored dress with
three widths or so in it. If a girl had to jump a branch,
she had to take into consideration the width of her dress.
The boys had a pair of pants made out of tow linen, with a
suit of flax for Sunday, and the boys from eight to twelve
years of age had no other clothing than 'a long tow linen
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 221
shirt. In the winter they .were supplied with buckskin pants,
moccasin shoes, and sometimes a blue jeans coat. After
sheep began to be raised by the settlers, flannel and linsey
was woven for the women and jeans for the men. While
dye stuffs were scarce, walnut bark was used which made a
butternut color which is still used in the South. Everybody
did their own spinning, and if a person wanted to hire a girl,,
the first question asked was "How many cuts can you spin?"
A dozen cuts was a day's work, though there were girls that
could go from fifteen to twenty cuts a day. Not every
family had a loom, as it took up too much room, unless they
had an outhouse for the loom. You could hear the weavers
go whack — whack — during the fall and winter all over the
country. Boots were a luxury that few indulged in. I
never had a pair of boots until I was twelve years old, and
then it was only by accident. I was the first boy in Peters-
burg who had a pair. In summer time boys and girls went
bare- footed, and in Menard county boys had stone bruises on
their feet nearly all summer. It was mostly in the heel of
the foot about a quarter of an inch under the skin. A
gathering of matter resulting from a bruise would commence
sometimes. A razor would be used to pare down the skin
so as to open the bruise. I have seen boys with a stone
bruise on one heel. On the other foot there would be a
stone bruise on the toes, and the poor boy would have to navi-
gate on one heel and one1 toe.
The agricultural implements were fully up to everything
else. There were no steel clipper plows, only a wooden
mould board for breaking up the ground, that would not
scour a rod in a quarter of a mile. A paddle had to be car-
ried with the plow. The corn was cultivated with the hoe
or bull tongue, or a very rude kind of a shovel plow. All
planting was done by marking off two ways with a shovel
plow and then dropping and covering with a hoe. All team-
ing was done with ox teams, and it was no uncommon sight
to see four to six yoke hitched to a large plow.
CHAPTER XXII.
NAVIGATION ON THE SANGAMON
N EARLY days before railroads were invented
or dreamed of, the people of Springfield and
Menard county looked forward to the time
when steamboats would be the means of
sending their surplus products, and bringing back goods and
merchandise. In fact the navigation of the river was more
feasible then than now. The great bodies of timber along
the stream had never been acquainted with the woodman's
axe, and the stream, with the exceptions of a few overhang-
ing trees and a few unimportant drifts, was a stream that
offered but few impediments to navigation. The river fur-
nished a more steady supply of water then than now. The
winter snow and the summer rains supplied the water, and
the earth, not being trampled by stock as at present, the
Sangamon was evenly fed the whole year. As far back as
1831 the experiment was tried of loading a steamer at Al-
ton with merchandise. There were no bridges across the
stream, and the steamer had no difficulty in making the trip
till it arrived at the Salem dam, where it stuck. By un-
loading a part of the cargo and using a capstand, 'it was
pulled over the dam and went on its way rejoicing. In a
few years the Utility, a stern wheeler, came up and laid at
the Salem mill for a week or ten days. I was o/d enough to
remember the Utility. It attracted great attention. Farm-
ers came for miles around to see it. The river began to fall
and it was dismantled at Petersburg, and its machinery was
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 223
put in the first mill, while the pine lumber used in its con-
struction was used in building houses in Petersburg. The
engine was a large single engine, and it did good service for
many years. It stood in the mill as late as 1841, though the
mill had gone down. This ended the navigation of the
Sangamon, as railroads had begun to come in use. -A horse
boat was built in 1845. The Gamels came from Sugar
Grove. Major Hill, with a few others, cut a big black wal-
nut tree in the grove. The tree was 80 feet long, it was
split straight and hauled to Petersburg, and the boat was
built, but a sufficient amount of power was not obtained to
propel the boat up stream even when empty.
WARLIKE SPIRIT OF MENARD COUNTY
Little Menard has always had a warlike character. In
my childhood there were still living in its bounds two sol-
diers who had fought in the Revolutionary war. One was
the father of James Short who was an early friend of Lin-
coln's. He lived north of Petersburg. It was old man
Short who killed sixteen wild turkeys at one shot and the re
coil of the gun broke his leg. The other was Daddy Boger
who lived in Wolf. He was a basket maker and he would
come to Petersburg every Saturday with a basket on each
arm and every person in those days had a Boger basket made
out of the best white oak splits. They were what was called
hoop baskets, and were very strong and substantial. In
1844 slavery was either to have more territory or to go out
of existence, we went to war. The cry was Polk and Texas.
Texas had achieved her independence from Mexico with the
Rio Grande river as the western boundary. In the election
224 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
the south and Polk were triumphant, and Henry Clay, who
had rather be right than president, was beaten. The slave
power now ran wild and instead of stopping at the Rio
Grande river, demanded that the line of Texas be moved
two hundred miles farther west to the Rio Nuses, which
Texas had never claimed. The Whigs opposed this claim,
though when it came to voting supplies to carry on the war,
they voted for them on the principle of "Our Country, right
or wrong." So when our troops were moved over next to
Mexico, it took no time to start the war, and then it wa,s
published all over the country that American blood had been
spilled on American soil. This was enough. When the
average American gets the smell of human blood, he usually
goes in for all it is worth. So the war was started, and
Illinois furnished four regiments. Col. Baker and CoL
Hardin, as good men as Illinois ever produced, raised regi-
ments in the central part of the state. Col, or General Hardin
laid down his life at Buena Vista, while Col. Baker re-
served his life for Ball's Bluff, in the Rebellion. Menard
county furnished one company of stalwarts. A. D. Wright
was elected captain, William C. Clary, first lieutenant,
Sheldon Johnson, second lieutenant, and Robert Scott, third
lieutenant. The company had eighty-two men in its ranks,
but death cut a wide swath in its ranks. The climate
robbed the country of more than half of its men. Some
were killed in battle, so not more than one-half of the men
returned, and some of those who did, came back, had
the seeds of disease planted in their systems and soon died.
In fact it is in all wars, those who return, come home to die
or linger out the rest of their days in pain, so it is doubtful
whether there will be a single Mexican soldier alive in two
years from date. There were only six alive in 1898, and
several have died since. Tom Watkins died only two years
ago. He was more widely known than any of them. The
capture of Santa Anna with a lot of treasure and the wooden
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 225
leg of Santa Anna, who was compelled to leave it in great
haste to save his own person, was an episode of the war.
Thomas L. Harris' name is mentioned in connection with
this with several men from Pekin. As one of the results of
the war, we acquired New Mexico and California, though
we paid them $15,000,000 for the latter. It turned out
to be a good investment, as the gold in California was dis-
covered about that time. The slave power now ran mad and
stopped at nothing to extend their arena of slavery. In this
they sealed their doom, as the last straw broke the camel's
back, so things were carried to the point until the north arose
in their right and said: "Thus far shalt thou go and no
farther."
We have said that the first settlers of Menard were nat-
ural born fighters. They came from fighting ancestors.
Their sires came from Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia,
and the way they settled their differences was to knock it
out. Even to this day whole families are wiped out and in
a few years the other family grows strong enough to wipe
out the other family out. These things have existed for
generations. In my childhood the military existed in Men-
ard more than at the present time. With our schools for
learning the art of war, a citizen can be made into a soldier
in a short space of time. I recollect when every person
liable to military duty had to muster two days in each year.
Andrew Moore of Indian Point was captain and a very im-
portant man was he with a military suit on. He looked
soldier like, but his most impressive toggery was an old silk-
hat caved in at the sides, with a red plume on top. Andy,
with solemn mein, would give the word of command and the
troops would automatically obey. Muster days which would
come in August were red letter days.
In the war of the rebellion, little Menard never had a
draft, but furnished her quota of troops. It has been said,
to her discredit, that she had many citizens who were op-
is
226 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
posed to the war, but we know that Democrats and Re-
publicans poured out about the same amount of their best
blood on their country's altar to save the Union, and that
all were patriotic in their own way, though they all could
not see just alike. Menard had enrolled 1,084; killed in
battle, 26; died of wounds, 19; killed by accident, 2;
wounded, 26; died in prison, 8; died of disease, 129; de-
serted, 50; total death from all causes, 184. A great
many died on returning home from disease contracted
during the war. "Our Country, right or wrong," although
it would not hold good between neighbors, yet when ap-
plied to our nation, has always been the rallying cry. The
last war was right, the war ten years from now will be
right, and we have men who will hurrah for the war
fifty years from now. General Sherman said : "War means
hell." In the destruction of property or life it means the
wounding and rriaining of the youth of our land, and yet
we hear it said every day that the war helps our business
and our trade, and we don't care how long the war lasts,
so we thrive by it.
SOME EARLY SETTLERS
Among the early settlements at New Market, Bellaro
was the center. It competed for the court house. On the
north side lived Russell Godby, a strong old Jackson Demo-
crat, of dignified . appearance, a man of good common
sense. At all the Democratic meetings he was always
elected chairman. He settled on the farm on which he died.
The farm south of Ballard's was entered by my uncle, David
Onstot, in 1824. He sold out to Coleman Smoot at an
early day and moved to Taney county, Mo., giving up some
of the finest land in Illinois for the mountainous county in
Missouri. Uncle Dave was of a restless spirit, and when
he had half a dozen neighbors in a half dozen miles, he
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 227
said the country was getting too thickly settled up for him.
and he did not propose to be crowded out, so he emigrated.
He had some enterprise and built a horse mill, run by an
incline wheel. The reason he gave for moving to Taney
county, Mo., was that cattle could run out all winter with-
out feed, the country being in the southern tier of counties.
He made a trip back to Illinois in 1844, and was much sur-
prised at the improvements in Menard county, and I think
would have been glad could he have gotten back. Coleman
Smoot lived on the farm till he died. His house was on a
beautiful ridge next to the timber. He had a large
orchard of fine apples and raised many hogs and cattle
for market, and was considered in good circumstances,
though he never gave up peddling apples. The last time
we saw Coleman Smoot was at Camp Butler. He had a
load of apples and a barrel of cider. The soldiers thought
a rich man like Smoot ought to give them the apples free
of charge, so when he was driving up a hill in the camp,
they pulled out his end gate and his apples all run down
the hill. He did not stop to pick them up but drove home
with his barrel of cider. Smoot made a trip to St. Louis
every spring, taking his bacon and surplus produce and
bringing back his groceries and goods. He lived to a good
old age. His son, William, was his only child. He built
on the hill east of the old home, and still lives there.
A half a mile west, past the edge of the timber, was
one of the first settlers, William Sampson, another uncle
of mine, an eccentric old man. His house was a place for
all the movers that were going north from Menard to
Mason. They always aimed to get to Sampson's to stay
all night. I don't think he ever charged them anything,
so his house was a popular resort. I think I speak in
bounds when I say that as many as forty persons have
stayed all night at Uncle Billy's. It was pretty hard on
Aunt Hannah to make beds all over the floor for such a
large crowd and also feed them, but Sampson had a large
228 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
amount of bread and meat and this crowd kept it from
spoiling. Besides Sampson was a great talker and could
learn a lot of news from these travelers. He had eight
large stalwart boys and two girls, which made him a large
family. He had come from Virginia in an early day and
had first settled on the west side of the river near Shipley's,
but after marrying, moved on the east side of the river where
he lived till it got too thickly settled for him.. He then
moved down near Greenview. We said Sampson was ec-
centric. A little anecdote will illustrate. He had a neigh-
bor by the name of Rodgers whose wife died. Sampson
and Rodgers were great friends, and at the funeral Samp-
son and his friend had been imbibing a little too much, and
while filling up the grave Rodgers gave Sampson a hunch
and told him to get in the grave and tramp it. Sampson
jumped down in the grave and commenced to tramp the dirt.
The shovelers took him by the arm and helped him out. He
was heartily ashamed of his work and it was a by-word in
the community for a year, "Get it and tramp it."
James Estill settled north of Sampson, and the place i*
known yet as the Estill place. About half way to Peters-
burg and Indian Creek. This stream supplied power to a
mill that both sawed lumber and ground meal. It was down
in the hollow. The road both in the east and the west came
down a very steep hill. The hill on the west must have
been one hundred and fifty feet high. I once took a grist of
corn there on horseback and when half way down the sack
and I slipped over the horse's head.
One of the old stand-bys of the county is Gus Riggins ;
first a school master, then circuit clerk for eight years. He
lived to be an old bachelor, marrying when fifty years old.
He has since resided on his farm, a well educated and in-
telligent man, well versed in the affairs of the county, state
and nation, fluent in conversation and an old time Demo-
crat. He has for sixty years followed the party through
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 229
adversity and prosperity. Defeat only seemed to strengthen
him in his principles. His name is a guarantee for integrity
and honesty.
A little farther south one of the solid men in his day
was Nicholas Tice, a small, heavy set German, the father
of John Tice. He always rode a sorrel mare, with a slit in
the face. He was a funny little old man and the boys in
Petersburg always had lots of fun with Mr. Tice. He
would sometimes get a little jubilant, but was always in a
good humor. A little farther south lived Andy Branson, a
great talker. He would go to Salem Mill, riding on a grist
of corn and on. the way he would stop at my father's shop
and talk the hat off your head. I recollect a case of absent-
mindedness he showed. He came riding on his sack of meal,
with his saddle tied on behind him. Father bought a bushel
of his meal. He then put his saddle on his horse and the sack
on the saddle and started for home. In half an hour he
came trotting in a great hurry up to the shop door, calling
out to father, saying: "Henry, Henry, I forgot my saddle."
When he saw he was riding on it he rode away, somewhat
crestfallen.
Between Indian Creek and the Sangamon lived a num-
ber of solid citizens. They were John Jennison, Henry
Clark, John Minor, George Curry, James Baxter, Abner
Baxter, Sylvester Baker, McNabb and many others whose
names do not readily come to my mind.
In the early days the mail was carried from Petersburg
to Athens on horseback once a week. The Brooks boys car-
ried it. It was a slim affair, as there were no papers printed
then. The Illinois Journal and the State Register were the
only papers in Springfield. Athens was in a rich country,
but before the black diamonds were discovered, it did not
assume must importance, as the farmers around there went
to Springfield to do their trading. We well recollect being
in Sprinfield in 1835 an(^ the little brick court house, with
230 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
its cupola covered with tin, and ponds of water where the
old state house stood. How changed Athens is now ; sur-
rounded by the best population in Menard. Go to
any country and the quality of the land determines the char-
acter of the people.
A few miles brings us across the river into Wolf, the
mouth of Rock Creek. The inhabitants of Wolf were from
Kentucky and Tennessee and were wolfish in their nature
when collected in large bodies. There were the Tibbs, the
Wisemans, the Pembertons, the Hornbuckles, the Hohimers
and the Duncans. The boundaries of Wolf were Rock
Creek on the south, Sangamon on the east, Purkapile
Branch on the north and the Springfield road on the west.
Most of the early farms in Wolf were made in the barrens,
as the timber was then called. Isaac Smerck, we recollect
as the first settler, came from the lead mines in 1832. He
brought $2,000 in clean Cash and entered one hundred and
sixty acres of this grub land, and with a large ox team
brought his land into cultivation. Any brush that the yoke
could bend down the plow could break up. Smerck could
have entered one thousand five hundred acres of the best
prairie land in the country, but he thought that a man could
not live on the prairie. His soil was only a fe\v inches thick.
Smerck had an ox that, when he was being unyoked, would
jump back as quick as lightning. One time he struck his
master in the face with his horn and came near killing him,
and he was not able to work much after that. Smerck had
a large lot of relatives on his wife's side that ate him out
and he moved to Mason county, but they followed him up
and he had to feed them as long as he lived.
Jack Pemberton will be remembered as a fat, jolly man.
He weighed two hundred and fifty pounds and was con-
stable. He was a great story teller. After he moved to
Mason county he was elected to the legislature. When the
county seat was moved to Petersburg, old Man Purkapile
HISTORY OF M^ENARD COUNTY. 231
lived on the southwest corner and was a noted character.
He was the father of James and George Purkapile. Being
the seventh son, he was supposed to be endowed with cura-
tive powers. Many children were taken to him to be cured
of the rash and he, by simply blowing in their mouth, would
effect a cure. Shirley's mill, near the mouth of Rock Creek,
did a good business, and when there was water enough sawed
lots of lumber. The old Menard House, in Petersburg,
got its lumber from this mill, and many a grist of corn that
made the dodger for the good housewife, came from Shir-
ley's mill. But time has obliterated the last vistage of the
mill, and not one stone has been left of the dam or mill.
There were a number of families by the name of Miller
that lived in Wolf, so many that they were distinguished
by some title. One that was larger than the rest was known
by the name of Greasy George Miller. They were all good
fighters. On the Springfield road, running south, were the
Nances, the Winns and the Goldbeys. James Goldbey was
the first sheriff of Menard county and was a very influential
citizen as long as he lived. The Nances were also above the
average in intelligence. Mrs. Parthena Hill was a sister of
Thos. Nance, while the Winns were a noted family. L. B.
Winn was elected to the legislature after he moved to
Petersburg. These pioneers have long since moved to the
Silent City and the second and third generations have taken
their places.
Rock Creek was early settled with an energetic class of
people, the Cogdals on the west of the Springfield road.
There were Elijah and Isaac Cogdal. Isaac was an all
around man. He had a large stone quarry and burnt lime.
He furnished the stone for the foundation of the old court
house in Petersburg in 1842, and all the lime that was used
in an early day. Isaac Cogdal was quite a noted politician
and was always up for some office. He was a Whig. He
had the misfortune to lose one arm in making a blast. He
232 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
was a tall, good looking man, while his brother, Elijah,
was a man of not much force, but a good citizen and a law-
abiding man. West of Cogdals lived Osborne, a farmer in
good circumstances. Robert Conover married one of his
daughters for his second wife.
We now come to Blacks. He had a number of girls and
boys. His oldest daughter married Lige Taylor. Her name
was Beckey. Sam was one of the boys. We were
acquainted with a man by the name of Stephenson who lived
near old Tarleton Lloyd. We cannot refrain from giving
an incident in his life, though perhaps we have mentioned it
before. The first Mrs. Lloyd, having died, in due time
Lloyd thought he might take another wife. So he fixed
his affections on Catherine Keltner, of Salem, whose father
kept the old tavern. She was a buxom lass of twenty sum-
mers, a good worker. Though the Keltners were very poor,
but respectable the marriage created great excitement and
their neighbors contributed largely toward the wedding
feast, some a few chickens, some a turkey, some a fat pig,
some flour, until enough was brought in to make a royal
dinner, and then the women brought in dishes and helped
to cook the dinner. The Keltners were in high glee and they
reasoned like this : Lloyd is sixty and may live fifteen or
twenty years more, while Catherine is twenty and may live
fifty years. At Lloyd's death Catherine will have a good
home left her and plenty to live on. The argument looked
very plausible, but alas, Catherine died at the age of sixty,
after having raised a large family, while Lloyd lived to be
one hundred and four years old. The Lloyd family appeared
to be long lived, as some of the children of the first wife are
still living. Near Lloyds lived Milo Wood, a harnessmaker.
He owned a small farm and had a number of boys. Alex,
one of his sons, was also a harnessmaker. Mack Woods,
another son, went to the Mexican war and after his return
was elected coroner. After he was qualified, James Taylor,
who was sheriff died, and Wood was then sheriff, but in
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 233
settling up the accounts they did not pan out, and Wood was
deposed from office.
We now come to the the noblest Roman of them all,
the Rev. John M. Berry, who did as much to civilize and
christianize the central part of Illinois as any other living
man. Tall and well formed, he stood like Paul among the
prophets, head and shoulders above his brethren. He was
a Cumberland Presbyterian minister, well versed in the
doctrines of his church. Old John Berry, as he was
familiarly called, worked hard on his farm six days in the
week and on Sunday preached when he could get an
audience. He was a great friend of Abraham Lincoln, and
he was the cause of Lincoln taking his son into partnership,
but Bill Berry turned out bad and became a drinking man
and gambler, and died a total wreck. This nearly broke
his father's heart, and while he still preached, he always
wore a solemn look and was seldom seen to smile. West
of Berry's was the Rock Creek camp ground. As we have
written that up in another part of this book, we will let
that suffice.
Elihu Bone lived near by. He deserves more than or-
dinary mention. He had a large family of girls and boys.
Jack Bone, his oldest son, is still alive, though near ninety
years old. He bought and marketed cattle in early days
and sold his cattle in the St. Louis market. He has been
in the Chicago Stock Yards at Chicago for forty years, but
is now retired. Jack did not resemble any of the Bone
family, being of medium height and dark complexioned,
while the rest of the boys were tall and light complexioned.
Several of the boys had red hair. Most of the boys settled
around their father. Robert's house was close to the camp
ground. He \vas an influential man. Elihu Bone once
represented Menard county in the legislature, with credit
to himself and his constituents. Elihu Bone was a very
conscientious man, and though living in a community where
234 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
rowdyism was rampart, he never had any lawsuits or diffi-
culties with his neighbors. In his dealings he was always
conscientious and upright. The country would have been
better off if all the early settlers had been men of" Elihu
Bone's character. There were the Combs, and the Yokums
and the Pennys that lived on the south side of Rock Creek
Coming north we find old Billy Green, the fathertof a large
family of Greens.
Ned Potter was one of the earliest pioneers of the coun-
try. He was a large, jolly fellow. He had a good sugar
camp and Mrs. Potter's maple sugar was legal tender for
all debts, public or private. The timber in this locality
was nearly half sugar trees. A little farther north was
Felix Green, who was the oldest of the Green boys.
Who in Menard county has not heard of Levi Summers
and his grammatical style of talking? He murdered more
of the English language than any other man in his day
and his sayings are repeated in the county to this day.
He had a large family, mostly girls. Fanny married Henry
Balls, Esther married Hardin Bale, but Uncle Levi always
bet on his son, Jimmy. About a half mile east lived one
of the best known men in Menard county, Cousin Mentor
Graham, who taught in nearly every district in the county
after it was organized. He was a peculiar man. The
writer went to school to him, first at the Baptist Church
at Felix Green's; next in Salem, then at the house east of
his farm. He taught over fifty years. If Cousin Mentor
took a liking to a scholar, he fared well, if not, the scholar
had a hard time of it. Cousin Mentor believed in govern-
ing a school by force. He always kept a lot of good
switches on hand would often call up a scholar and make
him hold out his hand and, with his rule, lay on the licks
until the scholar would beg for mercy. Graham was well
versed in the common branches of the English language.
Graham raised a large family, mostly girls, who married
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 235
well and settled in the county. ' North of Grahams was
Tom Watkins, but as our account of him will be found in
another part of the book we will give him a rest.
Across the prairie, west, we make a jump, as the prairies
were not settled in pioneer days. George Spears is the
central figure. He built a brick house before we were born.
Spears was one of the early settlers. As soon as the howling
wolf had left the grove or some time before and ere the
Indian yell had died away, the hardy emigrant had pitched
his rude cabin and was ready for the battle. The early
fathers were a brave and hardy race. Spears was a man
well fitted for a new country, strong in body, cool in judg-
ment. He was not at a loss to settle all the questions that
might arise. Spears had a large family, who, in turn, raised
large families. Robert Conover was another man of in-
fluence. He was a close neighbor of Spears'. In his latter
days he bought the Bennett Able place near Petersburg.
Then there was the Bells, several of them, Abraham, Isaac,
Silas, James; these we have named were all good, sober,
reliable citizens, who gave character to the grove. There
was the Whites, old Jimmy White was the oldest of them.
He was elected to the legislature one term. He was honest
but eccentric. If he had a bill to introduce, he would make
a short speech, telling what an advantage it would be to the
country. The members of the early legislature were made
up of honest farmers, while today it is composed of third
class lawyers and burners, who would sell their grandmothers
for a mess of potatoes.
John Kiner lived near where Tallula is now located. He
was not a large farmer, did not own more than one hundred
and forty acres. He was a son-in-law of White Kinner and
depended a great deal on his orchard. He had the finest
Bellflower apples in the county and always brought them to
town in sacks to the great disgust of the boys, who could not
sample them.
236 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
Col. Judy is an old citizen of great energy and has a great
reputation throughout Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri as an
auctioneer of fine stock. North of Clary's Grove we come to
c. little old man, who was the central figure in Petersburg
in the "forties" — Jesse Gum. He had a large tract of
good farm land and raised a large number of big boys, big
stalwart fellows, that could throw a two-year-old Texas
steer over the fence by the tail, but Uncle Jesse's best hold
was peddling. He had a cart and a small yoke of oxen.
His main articles of trade were honey and sweet potatoes.
Uncle Jesse always endeavored to impress the people with
the idea that honey and sweet potatoes were mightly scarce.
After he had sold out his load and trade a little he would
take his seat in the cart, and the black steers would head
for home without a driver. A little further north lived
Uncle Johnny Watkins, Gaddie Davis, Joe Watkins and
Lige Jones, more familiarly known as old Snag. There
were three of the Jones boys, Lige, Bill and John. Old
Snag always called his wife Fattie. Lige Jones was a good
neighbor, but a very profane man and addicted to the
use of liquor. His team finally ran away and killed him.
The Jones were all tall, good looking men, and 'were
fighters, though Gaines Green, when only a boy, whipped
Bill Jones at a race at Joe Watkins' track. John Jones
was a fiddler and ground out the music of the cat gut at
many 'a dance in Menard county. He finally moved to Iowa.
The Jones could always be found at Petersburg.
Tom Dowels was a quiet man and had the respect of his
neighbors. He did not farm very extensively, and had
plenty of boys to do his work. Then in the same community
lived the Bonds and Arnolds and the Arterberrys. Old
Daniel Arterberry was a tall, raw boned man, who had a
tremendous grip in his hand, and if you were not careful in
shaking hands with him, he would crush every bone in your
hand. He had such powerful strength in his hand that he
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 237
made every fellow afraid of him. Daniel Arterberry was
well known all over the county as a good law-abiding citizen.
There were numerous families of the Arterberry's and to this
day the village of Arterberry derives its name from some
of these descendants.
We will now swing around to the Miller's Ferry, where,
in 1846, lived Peter Ellmore. He was a jolly, good natured
old fellow, unlettered, and could neither read nor write, but
gathered up what information he could from his surround-
ings. We often stopped with Uncle Peter over night as a
half way house between Havana and Petersburg, and
always found him in an inquisitive mood. "Where have
you been?" said he. We told him "out to Springfield."
"Is the legislater sitten?" he would ask, and then we would
tell him a long story about what they were doing, and
Uncle Peter would say, "The Lord deliver us." Miller's
Ferry, where Uncle Peter lived, was once surveyed for a
town and was called Huron. My brother, R. J., has a plat
of it in Abraham Lincoln's own handwriting and prizes it
very highly. The town looks very fine on paper, though
there was only one house in it in its earliest days. K.
Watkins is now the sole owner of Huron, "and is monarch
of all he surveys."
Concord was settled in an early day. Samuel Berry, a
brother of John M. Berry, James Pantier, William Rutledge,
Reason Shipley, Jack Clary and Rile Armstrong were the
first settlers. Jack Clary first settled at Clary's Grove, but
was living at Concord as far back as I can recollect. He
had a large family of boys, of which Rile Clary is the oldest.
Samuel Berry lived south of Concord Church, was a very
religious man and could exhort as well as any of the
preachers. He was a very solemn man, and seldom laughed
or cracked a joke. William Rutledge was one of the large
family of Rutledges. His son, McGrady, died two years
ago. He was over eighty years old. Reason Shipley
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
lived north, near the Sangamon river. George Kirby lived
a few miles farther north than Squire Masters. We met
Kirby and Masters two years ago. They were both eighty -
six and were both strong for that age.
CHAPTER XXIII.
CITY OF PETERSBURG
MONO the early settlers of Petersburg were the
Taylors, John Wamsing, the Davidsons, Ches-
ter Moon, Charles Brooks, Martin Morris, the
Colbys, George Warberton, Peter Lukins, A.
D. Wright, Dr. John Allen, Dr. Bennett, Henry Onstot,
James and William Hoeys. The Bennetts came from old
Virginia. James Carter came from Virginia. He was a
cabinetmaker. Jacob Lanning came from New Jersey in
1838. The Lanning family still live in and around Peters-
burg. John McNamer lived in Salem and after its decline
moved to his farm north of town. Chas. B. Waldo was the
village schoolmaster. He and Nathan Dresser were brother-
in-laws. Dresser was the first circuit clerk. George U.
Miles was a prominent merchant with his wife's brother,
James McCoy. Martin Morris was a fine blacksmith.
Robert Bishop was a gunsmith and served in the Mexican
war. George Warberton and Peter Lukins were at one
time the proprietors of the town. They both were addicted
to drink. Lukins went by taking an overdose of poison.
He was one of three brothers, Jesse and Gregory, being the
other two. We stated in another chapter that Gregory died
in Sugar Grove. In this we are mistaken, as he died in
Topeka, Mason county, about ten years ago. The Brahms
settled north of Petersburg. They were Germans and at
one time, with John Wamsing, were the only Germans in
240 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
the county, with the exception of Peter Himmel, who lived
in- Petersburg one year before — he moved to Mason county.
The Colbys were wagonmakers and had their shop on the
branch just north of the Charter Oak mills.
The Bales lived at Salem till Hardin moved his ma-
chine to Petersburg in 1841, on the west side of the street
from Onstot's cooper shop. Jacob Bale first lived west of
Petersburg. The Bales appeared to be adapted to the run-
ning of machinery. Aaron B. White was a carpenter and
builder, and finally studied theology and made the discussion
of baptism his hobby. William McNeely and his brother,
Tilton, were prominent citizens of the county. William
was a bricklayer and plasterer and lived in Salem when
it was in its glory. He then moved out to the prairie west
of Salem, but for forty years was a resident in the suburbs
of Petersburg. Thos. McNeely was a son of Tilton's, who
was a merchant. These persons comprise most of the early
settlers around Petersburg.
Petersburg is beautifully situated on the west bank of
the Sangamon river, where the Chicago & Alton crosses the
Sangamon. It was first called the Springfield & North-
western. Since the advent of railroads the glory of the
Sangamon has departed. The river is spanned with numer-
ous bridges, which are built without draws, and could
not be navigated even were there plenty of water.
Petersburg has many fine residences on the bluffs which
belong, we are told to lawyers. "They toil not, neither do
they spin, yet Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed
like one of these." No discredit to lawyers. Peter Lukins
and George Warberton did not have much success in sell-
ing Petersburg town lots, so they sold out to John Tay-
lor and Hezekiah King, who infused new life into the
town and it began to grow. Lots sold high. My father
paid $300 for two lots, that had a branch running through
them at an angle. As Petersburg grew, Old Salem dimin-
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 241
ished. The trade that Hill had in Salem was transferred
to the Taylors and Bennetts and Hoeys at Petersburg,
and the trade that went to Springfield also went to Peters-
burg. There was no trading point on the north until Ha-
vana was reached. Abraham Lincoln re-surveyed Peters-
burg and had the plat recorded February 22, 1836. The
town was named for Peter Lukins. Warberton wanted it
called Georgetown. They finally agreed to play a game of
old sledge. Lukins won and the town 'was called Peters-
burg.
The first lawyer was David M. Rutledge, a brother of
Anna Rutledge, who was engaged to marry Lincoln, but
whose untimely death prevented the consummation of the
contract. Dr. Bennett was the first practicing physician.
The first school was taught by Charles B. Waldo. It was
taught in 1837 in the south part of town in a log cabin.
A frame schoolhouse was built in 1840 on the hill south of
Dr. Allen's. It was out in the hazel brush and was reached
by circuitous paths.
Tallula is situated in the extreme part of the county and
is a prosperous town. It was laid out in 1857 by W. G.
Green, J. G. Green, Richard Yates, Theodore Baker and
W. G. Spears. Tallula is in the center of the first settle-
ment of Menard county. Jack Clary was the first man. He
settled upon the farm that George Spears lived on so long.
Clary then moved to Concord, where he lived half of a cen-
tury. The Whites and Bells lived in the suburbs of Tallula
sixty years ago. Tallula was a fine grain and stock market
from the start and the country was thickly settled. The
farms were of the finest soil.
Away in the north part of the county lies Oakford. It
was laid out in 1872. Located on the Springfield and
Northwestern Railroad. It has no competition on the north
until Kilbourne is reached. None south till Petersburg is
reached, which is ten miles away. None on the west til!
16
242 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
you come to Chandlerville. None on the east till you come
to Greenview. The proprietors of the town were William
Oakford and William Colson. The land belonged to Colson
and he gave Oakford one-half of the town for securing the
railroad. The town lies a few miles below Miller's Ferry,
which had been used for fifty years as a crossing from
Springfield to Havana. At one time the county seat ques-
tion was to be settled, a town was laid out at Miller's Ferry
called Huron, but when that question was settled, Huron
went into liquidation. William Oakford built the first store-
room. In the summer of 1872 Cal Arterberry opened a
general store. Sutton Bros, finally bought out the store
and then sold out to Sam Watkins. In 1873 S. A. Bennett
started a drug store, so the business houses in Oakford kept
changing hands. Oliver Maltby and J. W. Walker started
a harness shop. C. P. Smith run a confectionery store. J.
S. Carter, from Petersburg, run a furniture store, but closed
it out and run a saloon. Gilbert Skaggs built the first
blacksmith shop. The village started on the road to pros-
perity, but soon relapsed into a state of inoccuous disuetude.
A murder was committed here in 1879, in which James
McElhe lost his life at the hands of A. J. McDonald.
There was a good farming country around Oakford. The
Sangamon bottom north of the town is the finest land in the
world, but subject to overflow on the west. The pecan
bottom was settled away back in the "thirties." Robison
Mills was long and favorably known as the center of trade.
Oakford is the only town in the county that has no
coal shaft. "The black diamonds" have not been unearthed.
If there is any coal in the town or vicinity it is so deep that
it would not be profitable to mine it. The hills and bluffs
around Oakford extend for miles and on the Sangamon
river it seems as if the mound builder that inhabited the
country before the Indian had become an extinct race
and had left nothing to explain the building of the mounds,
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 243
so a person has to imagine and speculate as to what kind of
a race they were. One thing we know, they must have
been a very industrious race to have built the chain of
mounds from the mouth of Salt Creek to the mouth of the
Sangamon.
We will now cross the river and land at Greenview. This
town was laid out in a pioneer day on the Chicago and
Alton Railroad at the northwest corner of Sugar Grove. It
may be well termed the Gem of the Prairie. If one of the
early settlers of Sugar Grove had been told that in the
latter part of the nineteenth century a busy bustling young
city should spring up in the open prairie, where the Indians
once held undisputed sway, where the wolves made night
hideous with their noise, he would have listened with in-
credulity. The country around Greenview was settled in
an early day. It was laid out by Wm. Engall, October
2, 1857. The land was once owned by Chas. Montgomery.
Its name was in honor of W. G. Goken, a prominent
Menard county farmer. The first house was built by Robt.
McReynolds. James Stone put up the second. The first
brick house was built by John Wilkinson and was converted
into a hotel. One of the first business houses was built by
McReynolds, the two first stores were McReynolds and
Meyer Bros. Silas Beekman had a store before the rail-
road was built. The first hotel was kept by John Wilkin-
son. The first blacksmith shop was built by Jacob Propse.
The first doctors were Davis and Calloway. The first grain
merchant was Harvey Yeaman.
Greenview is a great grain center. Most of the corn is
fed to cattle and hogs, while a large amount of wheat is
annually shipped and a large amount of stock is shipped to
Chicago. Greenview, since the mining of coal, is a place
of great importance. Several hundred tons are daily raised
and shipped to the surrounding towns. The coal is said
to be of a superior quality. Its coal interest is what gives
244 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
Greenview its commercial importance, as it gives employ-
ment -to a large number of workmen, who in turn, spend
their money in the town. A large public square is located
in the heart of the town, which helps its looks.
Sweet water, in the northeastern part of the Grove, was
once a place of prominence. In the days when Bill Engle
was a power in the community. Engle was a great trader.
He kept country store and went to St. Louis or New Or-
leans once a year. He would gather up the produce and
have it hauled to Beardstown, then have it shipped south
and then go down and sell it and bring back groceries. We
may have related the big onion crop that Bill raised one
year, but will tell it again. He had been to New Orleans
one fall and saw red onions selling at two dollars per
bushel. He bought enough seed to sow eight acres. He had
eight acres of pasture land that was very rich and he planted
them. He raised a large crop and he housed two thousand
bushel. My father had made him three hundred barrels to
ship them in but that fall onions would not pay the freight,
and Engle had to sell them out to his neighbors at ten cents
per bushel and had plenty of onions left. Coal is also mined
at Sweetwater, there being no way of shipping it by rail, it
supplies the wagon trade. There was a splendid body of
timber in the grove in an early day. Large walnut trees
were cut in the grove. The gunnels of a house boat, that
was to run on the Sangamon, were gotten out in Sugar
Grove. But the machinery loaded down the boat and it had
no power to stem the current in ascending the river.
The village of New Market existed only on paper. It
was laid out by Dr. Ballard and a man by the name of
Spears. Ballard put up a large two-story house, intended
for a hotel, but it was never needed. Clarke opened up a
store, Sanders and Rodgers a blacksmith shop. With the
location at Petersburg it dwindled away in to nothingness.
The place is now occupied by Aunt Nancy Rule as a farm.
HISTORY OF M.ENARD COUNTY. 245
ATHENS
The village of Athens is situated in the southeastern part
of the county, and next to Salem and Petersburg is the
oldest town within the bounds of Menard county. The
village site is a level plain and the country around it is the
most prosperous land in the state. Wood and coal are found
in inexhaustible quantities. The coal lies within one hundred
feet of the top of the ground. The town of Athens was
surveyed and platted. In laying out the town forty acres
were platted and additions from time to time have been
made. Two cabins were built. One for a residence, the
other for a blacksmith shop, by a man named Clarge. Col.
Matthew Rodgers built the first house of any importance.
John Overstreet was the first merchant of the village^ hav-
ing purchased the stock of Harry Riggins. Jonathan Dunn
was the second merchant of the village. In 1833 Harry
Riggins and Amberry Rankin opened a store, but soon sold
out to Martin Morgan. James D. Allen and Simon Clark
were the next merchants. In 1839 Sebastian Stone became
a partner of Allen's and remained in business for some time.
The goods in those days were all hauled from St. Louis by
ox teams and it took several days to make the trip. The
arrival of a few loads of goods was a great event of the
day. The people came from far and near to see these new
goods. Athens had from the start to compete with Spring-
field in competition with the trade. It was not until the
opening up of the coal interest that Athens began to leap
forward in the race for mercantile supremacy. In the year
of 1834 Overstreet ground up a flat-boat. of flour and in
company with Jesse and David Hunt shipped it to New
Orleans. In early days Athens was noted for its pottery
factories. Crocks and jugs were manufactured and sent in
peddler wagons all over the state for sale. All kinds of
produce were taken in exchange and farmers all around
246 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
Athens when they wanted to raise a little money they
would go to Athens and get a load of crockery and return
with the produce and trade. Money was scarce and trade
and barter were the order of the day. So the pioneers of
early days, while they had to submit to many privations,
were a happy people and contented with their lot.
Up the Sangamon river, south of Miller's Ferry, K.
Watkins holds the fort. While on the east of the road to
Petersburg lives Squire Masters and George Kirby, both well
up to ninety years old. Reason Shipley lived near the
river. A little farther south was the old Concord Church,
around which lived James Pantier, William Rutledge,
Samuel Berry and a score of the Clarys, while on the San-
gamon river lived Anno Ritter. Here is where my father
would buy a dozen white oak trees in the spring for stave
timber and cut them in the spring when the bark would
peel and get enough bark off the trees to pay for them.
Anno Ritter was surveyor of Menard county for one term
and died on his farm and was a respected citizen.
Gregory Lukins lived in the "forties" between Ritter's
and Petersburg on the Harris place.
A LETTER FROM H* L. ROSS
MR. T. G. ONSTOT:
I understand you are getting up a history of Menard
and Mason counties. I thought I might be able to render
you some assistance in getting up the history of Mason
county, as there is probably few men now living who know
as much about the history of Mason as myself.
Mason county was originally a part of Tazewell, and
my father, O. M. Ross, in all probability built the first
house and ploughed the first land in the county. In 1821
he moved from St. Clair county to what is now Fulton
248 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
county. In 1822 he built a house in Havana on the bank
of the Illinois river, where the city of Havana now stands.
At that time he established a ferry across the river. The
nearest ferry on the south was at Beardstown and on the
north at Peoria at Fort Clark. He engaged a man to
build a house and run the ferry for him, and gave him
one-half of the proceeds and the use of twenty acres of
land. -At that time the land had not yet come into market,
but was government land, but in 1827 Ross entered one
thousand acres of land at $1.25 .per acre. The land lay
up and down the river, including the land where Havana
now stands. It also included the land where Bath stands.
O. M. Ross moved from Fulton county to Havana in 1826
and built the Havana Hotel, and opened up a farm of two
hundred acres east of Havana. The Indians had settled
up and down the river in great numbers, Wigwams could
be numbered by the hundreds. The squaws would cultivate
a few patches of ground, which they would dig up and
plant in corn, beans and other vegetables, while the In-
dians hunted and trapped. At that time all the county
north of 'the Sangamon and south of the Mackinaw and
east of the Illinois river for fifteen miles, was a vast plain,
where horses and droves of deer roamed at will. There
were-but two roads laid out then, one running from Ha-
vana to Springfield, which crossed the Sangamon at Miller's
ferry, fifteen miles south of Havana. This road ran through
Salem and Sangamontown. The other road -crossed Salt
Creek, and ran through Athens, and crossed the Sangamon
four^miles north of Springfield. In 1829 there was not a
house between Miller's Ferry and Havana, nor between
the ferry at Salt Creek and Havana. In 1831, John Mounts
and John Yardly settled on the road leading from Havana
to Miller's Ferry, not far from Crane Creek. Mounts
settled on the west side and Yardly on the east side.
Mounts built a mill on Crane Creek, which was the first
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 249
mill in Mason county. The next mill was built by Pal-
lard Simmons on Quiver Creek, five miles northeast of
Havana. In 1838, this Simmons, who is the same man who
lived near Salem in former years, on one occasion while
there, met John Calhoun, the county surveyor. Calhoun
informed Simmons that he had decided to appoint Lin-
coln as deputy surveyor, if he would accept the appoint-
ment. The next day Simmons went to Salem and inquired
for Mr. Lincoln, and was told he was working in the
woods. Simmons found him working at his old occupa-
tion making rails. They both sat down on a log and
Simmons told Lincoln what Calhoun had said. Mr. Lin-
coln was surprised that Calhoun should appoint him his
deputy, when he was a Henry Clay Whig and Calhoun
was a Jackson Democrat, but Lincoln said that as soon as
he got the rails made, he would go to Springfield and see
Calhoun about it, so in a few days he walked to Spring-
field to see Mr. Calhoun and told him that he would ac-
cept the appointment if he had the assurance that it would
not interfere in any way with his political obligations and
that he might be permitted to express his opinions as freely
as he chose. The assurance was given and he received the
appointmnt.
The next man" that settled on the road to Miller's Ferry
was Gibson Garrett. He settled on the edge of the timber
nine miles south of Havana, near where the village of
Kilbourne stands.
The first settlers of Havana in 1830 were John Bash,
Carle Armstrong, Sylvester Whipple, A. B. Shafer, Ben-
jamin Hult, Bethilt Roberts, John Nettleman and Robert
Corsea.
Nettleman was a Frenchman and ran a keel boat on the
Illinois river for two years. In the spring of 1830 he
piloted the steamboat Liberty from St. Louis to Peoria,
which was the first boat that ran up the Illinois as far as
Havana.
•250 HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY.
The Indians that first settled near Havana and up and
down the river were friendly and appeared to want to live
peaceably with the whites, if fairly treated, but if imposed
on, would fight. They had several burying places on the
bluff near Havana. One of them was the mounds below
Havana, the other was the mounds above Havana. The
Indians regarded the burying places of their dead with
great reverence, and any desecration of them would cause
great hostility among them, and the perpetrator, if found
out, would be severely dealt with. There was a little cir-
cumstance connected with this that we will relate and that
nearly terminated in a tragedy. John N. Ross, a brother
of O. M. Ross, who had been residing in Kentucky for
a couple of years, was married to the daughter of a wealthy
slave holder of that state, and as he was a Quaker and
strongly opposed to slavery, he and his young wife moved
to Illinois and stopped at Havana and bought eighty acres
where the bluff and river came together, upon which the
two mounds stood. The mounds stood about fifty feet
apart, and John Ross and his young wife were well pleased
with the location for a dwelling and determined to build
a house on it between the two mounds on the river, which
would give them a handsome view up and down the river.
He had a carpenter at work on it and they had it almost
finished when a company of hunters and trappers came over
from Fulton county and commenced to dig and desecrate
the mounds. It happened that seven years before one of
the chiefs had lost by death two of his children, a son and
daughter, and they had been buried in the north mound.
It was the custom to bury a number of articles with their
dead male Indians, such things as a tomahawk, a large
knife and a bow and arrow, and with the squaws many
articles of wearing apparel, silver bracelets, strings of beads,
etc.
HISTORY OF MENARD COUNTY. 251
These hunters dug open the graves of this young Indian
and his sister and carried away all they wanted, and when
the old chief found out that his children's graves had been
desecrated and many of the articles buried with them had
been carried away also, his anger was aroused to the high-
est pitch. He gathered together a number of the principal
Indians and was ready to start out on the war-path, but
he came to Havana to see O. M. Ross about the matter,
with whom he had always been on friendly terms. Ross
told him that he would do all in his power to find out the
perpetrators and have them brought to justice. It was
found that the men lived on the other sjde of the river
and that the people on the Havana side of the river had
nothing to do with it. They became more reconciled, but
if the men could have been found who desecrated the graves,
they would, in all probability, have been killed by the In-
dians for what had taken place. J. N. Ross became so
alarmed, that his wife was not willing to live in the place,
so he moved back to Kentucky, and the place was never
occupied until the Indians moved out of the country.
HARVEY LEE Ross.
History of mason County
CHAPTER XXIV.
ASON COUNTY was one of the last counties
in Central Illinois that was opened up for set-
tlement, although there were portions of it on
which white men, in an early day, had made
some improvements. Havana had white men, who, in
early times, had cast their lots among the red men and to
whose ears the howling of the wolf was music. The county
is ill-shaped, with a forty mile frontage on the Illinois
river and only a few miles of that suitable for building
purposes on the west. On the south the Sangamon river
and Salt Creek form the natural boundaries, running to a
narrow point at its southern boundary and widening out
at its northern boundary. It might well be called the county
between the two rivers, hemmed in as it were by natural
boundaries, except the northeastern corner, where a stretch
of the best land in the county lies. From the Mackinaw
to Salt Creek you can shake hands across a strip of county
twenty-five miles long.
The land in Mason county might have been, in an early
day, divided into three classes; first the timber lands that
lay up high. They were very sandy and were covered with
a scrubby growth of timber. There was not much under-
growth, as the annual forest fires kept that down. Most of
254 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
the trees left standing had the tops blown off and were
hollow and hundreds of swarms of bees were taken out
every fall. In these forests the wild deer roamed at will
and hunters from Menard would come every fall and load
down their wagons with venison and wild honey. These
forests, in an early day, furnished the hardy pioneers with
timber for rails to fence their farms, for it was not thought
that a man could live on the bleak prairie without shelter,
so the pioneer came and made his small clearing in the
brush, where the land was poor and yielded only a small
return for tlje labor bestowed. The forest fires were a
sure thing every fall, even before the grass had dried up.
Another class of land was what might be called the
swamp or wet lands. There was a large body of these lands
at the head of Quiver Valley. They extended from Slicky
Bill Green's on the west, to Delavan and Aliens Grove on
the east and were fifty thousand acres in extent. They
could be farmed in a dry season, but in a moderately wet
season the farmer could only work between showers, and
a July freshet would drown out the farmer's labor for
the season and he was often compelled to buy corn from
his neighbors, who lived on higher ground, to tide over
another summer, perhaps of the same kind, so that in the
course of a few years the farmer would have to move,
worse off than when he commenced. The second division
of swamp land might be called the Crane Creek division,
commencing west of Red Oak Grove and running west to
Crane Creek timber, thence south to Crane Creek. These
lands were of the same quality, except they had not the
fall of the Quiver Valley land, which was four feet to the
mile. The third division was the Bull's Eye prairie land
of the same quality and kind as the other divisions. Their
water also went to Crane Creek. The next great body of
swamp land lay southeast of Havana, commencing south
of Black Jack Grove and running to the Sangamon and
Illinois rivers.
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 255
The first merchant was Ross. There was a wing built
on the north side of his hotel, probably one hundred feet
long, but about fourteen feet wide. There were shelves
on the south side. Walker and Hancock occupied this
building with a stock of goods and did a large business
for years, until they built a more commodious house on
Market street, on the north side and nearer the river.
Steiners also occupied this building as also did Hurt and
McKendree, who were in the building when it burned in
1849. Brown was keeping the hotel when it burned one
Sunday night. The Havana Hotel has been described in
another part of the book. It was the largest hotel in
Central Illinois when built. Across, on the north side of
Market Street, on the corner, was where George Robin-
son kept store. It was a one story building. He kept
store in the front of the building and lived in the back
part. Robinson kept a stock of goods that suited the
people who lived across the river. They went by the name
of Bottomites. Whisky was an article they all had to have
and Robinson always kept it. Robinson was a very large,
fleshy man, but not quite so fat as his son George. A
little farther west was Thornberg's saloon. It stood on the
spot where the Block House was built in an early day.
Eli Thornberg had a large family. Fred was the oldest.
He did not live out his day, as he was addicted to drink
and was very abusive. One day John Henry Norris, who
lived on Crane Creek, came to town and Fred attacked
him till Norris sent his knife in his abdomen and killed
him. Thornberg had a very bright daughter, named Mary
Jane, and a boy John. After keeping saloon for a few
years, he moved to Arkansas. The next store on the west
was Walker & Hancock's. This was one of the most
complete stores ever kept in Havana. They carried every-
thing to eat and everything to wear. They had a large
territory to draw from, from Lewistown and Bernadotte
256 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
on the west their trade extended to Salt Creek, Crane
Creek, Allen's Grove and south to Kilbourne, and to Coon
Grove on the north. It was no unusual thing to see a
dozen wagons camp over night, after hauling in their
produce. We recollect seeing a shipment of forty hogs-
head of sugar unloaded at one time and some of it lay on
the levee part of the summer. Hancock lived at St. Louis
and picked up all the bargains that were in sight and re-
ceived the grain that Walker shipped and sold it. This
store, though large and commodious, soon got to be too
small and they built another, larger, just north of the
bridge. This building was fifty by one hundred and fifty,
and three stories high. The upper story was used as a store
room. This building soon was too small and they built
a very large brick one on Railroad Street, just south of
Tettee's mill. This building was devoted to merchandise.
Walker & Hancock did business throughout the war but,
as they had money invested in steamboats, the close of
the war so depreciated their property that they had to quit
business. Walker went to Peoria and did business till his
death. The poor man never had a better friend than
George N. Walker. Just west of Walker's, and next to the
river, was Alex Stewart's. He was an Irishman and came
to Havana as mate on the Navigator, a steamboat that Asa
Langford traded town lots in Waterford for. Alex
Stewart lived in Havana for over fifty years and accumu-
lated considerable property. He, like Robinson, kept a
stock of goods suited to the trade across the river, the
chief article of which was whisky, and they, in turn,
brought the produce raised on the river bottom, such as
cord wood, fence rails, clap boards, hickory nuts, black-
berries and lumber from the saw mill at Waterford.
Farther south, on the high bluff, on the west side of
the river was where Cyvenus Andrews kept store. He
was a brother-in-law to N. J. Rockwell. Andrews also had
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 257
a fine trade with the people across the river. He kept a
variety store. His stock would not now be considered
complete. He also kept whisky, as did every other mer-
chant in the town, except Walker & Hancock, and to their
credit it may be said that they never dealt in distilled
damnation. Andrews also bought corn. He had a little
crib that held three hundred bushels of ear corn, and
when he got it full he would have it beat out. He had a
frame six feet long and three feet wide, with side boards
and slats across the bottom. It would be filled with corn
and then with clubs or an old axe, the corn would be
pounded, the shelled corn going through the slats, while
the cobs could not get through. A good able bodied man
could shell fifty bushels a day if he kept busy. I used
to take the contract for shelling Andrew's corn. N. J.
Rockwell kept store on the lot where George Myer's house
now stands. He was one of the earliest merchants of
Havana. His store was fourteen by thirty, with shelve-:
on one side. Rockwell was a perfect gentleman and,
though not an office seeker, held several offices from the
people. He had a fair trade. He also sold whisky with
Peruvian bark, just to cure the chills. He finally moved
back to New York, where he came from, and died there.
He made a gift to Havana to perpetuate his name, and
Rockwell Park, in the north part of Havana, will long be
known as a gift from N. J. Rockwell. The Hurd
Brothers kept store just north of the city hall. There were
three brothers, Alvador, William and Samuel. They are
all dead, except Samuel, who, at last accounts, was living in
Fulton county. One of the first blacksmith shops was owned
by Amos Ganson. He was a tall, fine looking man and was a
good smith. His shop was on the northwest corner of the
public square, where the laundry stands. Ganson had two
boys, William and San ford, and a girl named Harriett Ann.
Ganson was very choice in the beaux that came to see his
17
258 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
daughter, and a young man had to get on the right side
of the old man before he could pay his respects to the
daughter. Ganson had three hundred and twenty acres of
as fine land as there is in Mason county. Egypt is now known
as Spait's farm. He afterward moved to Egypt and finally
near Decatur and left his wife. Ganson was of a roving
disposition and never stayed long enough at one place to
get acquainted with the people. John Harpham kept a
grocery store on Market Street, near where Myer's store
is. Dr.- Loveland built on the corner west of the bank.
It was, when built, the best house in the town. Loveland
was a small man and very precise. He had a lot of land
south of Bishop Station that was very good land. The
doctor's store was a two-story building and he rented
the store room to Hiram Cleaver. The upper story was
rented to the county for a court room, till the new court
house was finished. The court was held under Judge
Treat and the lawyers held high carnival in Loveland' s
building. The court house was two years in building, and,
when built, was considered a creditable house. It finall>
burnt down and another one was built that resembled the
old one, but now compared with the modern court house
is an eye sore to the community. Across, on the opposite
corner, where Allen's drug store stands, was a two-story
frame building, in which Robert Walker and George" Lang-
ford opened up a general merchandise business. It was
terminated by the death of Robert Walker. He was a son
of James Walker and a brother of George Walker. These
merchants, whom we have mentioned, did not keep as large
stores as the merchants of today, nor did the people need
as much. Their wants were not so great as now. The
country was not all settled up and farmers were in debt
for their land and improvements. Before the war we
were under the old dispensation of plows that would not
scour, of harrows with wooden teeth, but after 1860 we
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 259
took a leap forward and made a new record. We left the
tallow candle dispensation for the kerosene. The advance
we made in the last forty years will see a much greater
advance in the forty years to come. But what a change
has come over these lands in twenty years. By suitable
drainage, they have been thoroughly drained and are the
finest lands in the county and have been made to blossom
as the rose.
The third and last division is the table land of the
county, which comprises some of the best farming land in
the county. The land in Quiver and Egypt is of this kind.
The timber lands, which were poor and sandy, have been
improved in the mode of farming, so that they produce
a third more now than they did thirty years ago. Most
of the farmers now list the land, instead of plowing it up.
This is done by throwing two furrows together and then
planting the corn in the furrow and tending it. By the
time it is laid, the roots of the corn are deep in the ground.
Now the farm lands are eagerly sought after in Mason
county and they sell for a higher price than the lands in
adjoining counties. We do not expect to be very elaborate
in describing the Mason county land in a book, in which only
a few hundred pages can be devoted to this part, but we do
expect to give a good report of Mason county pioneers at
a price within the reach of all. There has been only one
history of Mason county written and that was twenty-five
years ago. It was a costly book ($10.00) and only one
person in fifty ever read it. We now promise to write a
book within the reach of all at a moderate price. We write
• for the masses, the toiling masses, and expect to give
them as much information in fewer words and at a less
price.
CHAPTER XXV.
HAVANA TOWNSHIP
HE FIRST white man to settle in Havana town-
ship was believed to be James Hokum. It was
known that he kept the ferry for Ross, where
the city of Havana now stands and it is sup-
posed to have been established on this side of the river
as early as 1824. There is but little doubt that he was
the first white man that squatted on Havana's sandy soil.
He did not remain long, however, and O. M. Ross may be
set down as the first permanent settler. Ross came from
New York to Illinois in 1819 and first settled in Madison
county. In the spring of 1821 he moved to Lewistown
and wras one of the proprietors of that town, which was
named for his son, Lewis Ross. Ross established the ferry
at Havana in 1823 or '24. Prior to this there was an ar-
rangement for taking people across the river on Saturday
of each week. He would take their baggage in a canoe,
while their horses were made to swim beside it. Ross built
the hotel in 1829, which was the first hotel in Mason
county. He had a brother Jim who lived there for a num-
ber of years, but moved away. The Ross family consisted of
four sons and two daughters ; Lewis, Harvey, Leonard and
Pike were the sons. One of the daughters married A. S.
Steel and the other married Judge William Kellogg. Henry
Myers came about the same time as Ross, but moved to
Fulton county in a short time. John Barnes settled at
the mounds above Havana in 1829 or '30. He sold out
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 261
and moved up to Quiver. When a school was established,
he took his glow and made a road for his children to go
to school. His girls used to bring cord wood to Havana
by rafting it down the river. He finally moved to Kansas.
Reinforcements arrived in 1835; these were Owen Fos-
ter, N. J. Rockwell, Abel Kemp, Eli Fisk and the Wheadons.
The Wheadons were from New York; they did not stay
long in Mason county. They settled in Fulton county.
Silah Wheadon was well known in Mason county in after
years as a newspaper man. Fisk was a Yankee and set-
tled in 1837, where his son, Cooley, now resides. Foster,
Kemp, Adams and Rockwell came from Canada. While
making a trip east, Adams lost his life during an alterca-
tion on a steamboat. Kemp moved to Wisconsin and
Rockwell back to New York. Kemp celebrated his golden
wedding in 1874. He has no doubt been dead for many
years. He first located in the Sangamon bottom, but nearly
shook his life out with the ague. He next moved three miles
south, east of Havana, and then to Havana. Owen Fos
ter was orginally from Vermont and came west with the
colony. He engaged in the hotel business and kept the
second hotel in the county. He finally bought a farm east
of Havana. He was the father of Jad Foster, the grain
merchant. His widow married Life Low. A man by the
name of Blair was here for a short time but sold out to
Rockwell.
In 1836 the following recruits were added: The Low
brothers, Pulaski Scoville, Pallard Simmons, C. W. An-
drews, Ephraim Burnell, John and William Alexander.
The Lows came from the old Bay state. There were three
brothers, Frank, Thomas and Eliphaz. Frank is the only
one living at an advanced age. The Lows, with Pulaski
Scoville, built a saw mill at Havana in an early day and
sawed timber for building in Alton and St. Louis, and for
building the first railroad in the Mississippi Valley. Frank
262 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
Low was deputy sheriff of Tazewell county and the first
sheriff of Mason county. He has always been an active,
energetic man and takes an interest in the welfare of the
county. Thomas Low was an old bachelor and died in
1846, while Eliphaz died in 1864. Scoville came from
Cincinnati to Illinois and, in connection with the Lows,
built a steam saw mill which did an extensive business
for many years. He owned a large tract of land. C. W.
Andrews came from Watertown, New York, and located
in Havana, and was partner with N. J. Rockwell. He then
moved to Fulton county and afterward moved back and
again became a merchant. Andrews was a justice of the
peace for one term. Ephraim Burnell lived near the mounds
above Havana and then started for California, but died
on the way. Erasmus and Evander were his nephews.
Evander died and Erasmus was living, at the last ac-
count, in Kansas.
From Germany, the fatherland, came the Krebaums,
the Dinkers, the Havenhorsts, John H. Schulte, John W.
Netler, Fred Speckman, Herman Tegerdes and John Hults-
grave. The Krebaum family consisted of Bernhart Kre-
baum and five sons, Adolph, William, Edward, Fred and
Charles G., the youngest, who was born in Havana and
supposed to be the first child born there. The Krebaums
are said to be the third family born in the township and
the fourth in the county. Fred was a lawyer, Adolph
was a county clerk, William was a carpenter, Edward was
a farmer, and Gus was a grain dealer. Adolph, though
nearly ninety years old, knows as much about the history
of Mason county as any man living. Daniel Dieffenbacher
came from Pennsylvania in 1837. He was noted, during
his life, as a zealous Methodist, and always stood high in
social and religious circles. Charles Howell was one of
the old timers and at last account was still living, though
at the advanced age of ninety. B. F. Howell and his
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 263
brother, Theodore, both died in the last three years.
Charles Howell first settled in Mason county near Mc-
Harry's mill and at one time was the owner, with Julius
Jones and William Pallard as partners. They built a saw
mill on the north side of Quiver. Charles Howell was as
great a traveler as the Arkansas traveler. He made sev-
eral trips to California. He certainly saw as much of the
country as any other man. He finally settled down on his
farm and manufactured furniture. We have a set of chairs
that he made over fifty years ago.
Robert McReynolds was another pioneer of Havana
township. He, too, was a zealous Methodist and a Jackson
Democrat of the Peter Cartright stripe. His house was the
Methodist preacher's home. He finally moved to Havana
and during his later years held many important offices. He
left his impress on many sons and daughters. Jacob Mow-
der and John R. Chancy came from Kentucky in 1837.
Asa Langford came from Tennessee and settled in Lewis-
town in 1824. Afterwards he moved to Point Isabel and
then to Havana. Langford was a noted character as long
as he lived. There is not an old resident of this county
but what recollects Asa Langford. Luther Dearborn was
as well known as any man that ever lived in the county.
He did not remain there long, but moved to Kane county.
In 1850 he was elected sheriff and had for deputy the cele-
brated detective, Allen Pinkerton. He came back to Ha-
vana in 1858 and opened up a law office. Luther lived in
advance of his age. We heard him twenty-five years ago,
at a grange picnic at Forest City, make a prophesy that
before another twenty-five years had elapsed, that elec-
tricity would be the motive power that would drive the
machinery and do the work of the land. How true the
prophetic utterance. Jonathan Dearborn was the father of
Luther and Marcellus Dearborn. He built the Mason
House that stands on the river. He \vas also the post-
264 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
master. We have seen him on a public day, when he wanted
to be out with the crowd, put the letters in the top of his
silk hat and when he met a man on the street that he
had a letter for give it to him. Quite a change in the post-
office business now. Dr. E. B. Harpham came to Havana
in 1844 and practiced medicine for forty years. James,
Silas and Levi came soon afterward. James and Silas
are dead. Levi moved to California about ten years ago.
Higbee was from Lexington, Kentucky. He finally,
after several moves, located in Havana, where he died.
Alexander Gray came from Scotland. Reuben Henninger,
Philip Ott and Simon Frankfield were from the state of
Pennsylvania. Henninger lived on his farm for many years.
He raised a large family of boys and girls. He moved
to Havana before he died. Sam Conwell came to the
county and engaged in farming and raised Berkshire pigs.
He raised a large family of boys and girls. He moved
retired from public life and shut himself up at home and
was seldom seen. The name, Havana, was given in honor
of the capital of the Isle of Cuba. The island just above
Havana was called Cuba. In early days it was covered
with a growth of burr oak timber, some of which were of
enormous size, but it was all sawed up by Low & Scoville's
mill and shipped out of the country so, as we said before,
the mill was a curse, instead of a blessing to the country.
CITY OF HAVANA.
Havana, the county seat of Mason county, is situated
on the east bank of the Illinois river. It is high and above
the high water mark. The soil is very sandy. Its main
production in an early day was sand burrs and fleas. The
sand burr still survives the wreck of time and flourishes
like the bay tree, while the flea is a thing of the past. It
is supposed that they could not stand an advanced civiliza-
tion. Havana is built on a high bluff, perhaps one hundred
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 265
feet above the river and a quarter of a mile farther east is
a second bluff. Havana is forty-seven miles north of
Springfield and two hundred miles southwest of Chicago,
forty miles south of Peoria and nearly two hundred miles
north of St. Louis. Havana had a postoffice before Chi-
cago did. The mail was carried on horseback from Lewis-
town to Springfield. The first justices of the peace were
Eli Fisk and A. W. Kemp. There was some work for
the justices in those days, as Fulton county would some-
times come over in force with clubs and cord wood, and
many were the pitched battles fought after the combatants
had filled themselves up with rot gut whisky. These fra-
cases, with the building up of Point Isabel, were transferred
across the river, and every Saturday afternoon the people of
Havana would gather on the banks of the river to witness
the battle. So common had this became that the name of
Isabel was changed to "Bloody Point." Then the Crane
Creek and Sangamon timber boys would come to town and
conceive the idea of having a little fun and, after filling
up with booze, would start out to run the town. It was
said that Uncle Jesse Baker commenced to have his fun
at one time and that C. W. Andrews was commissioned
to arrest him. Uncle Jesse, being a law-abiding citizen,
made no resistance. Uncle Jesse's by-word was "sartin and
sure." Before 1857 there were no brick houses in Ha-
vana, when James H. Hole built a brick store house and
William Walker built a dwelling house.
We find in writing up the townships and then the towns
in the same townships that some facts and incidents are
liable to be repeated, if so, our readers will pardon us for
repetition. Rev. Michael Shunk was perhaps the first
Methodist preacher in Havana. He always filled his ap-
pointment no matter what was the cpndition of the roads
or weather. Shunk had charge of the Methodist Church
in Mason county as far back as 1838 and for fifty years
266 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
was a faithful preacher of the gospel. The Baptist Church
dates back in the "forties," although the Baldwins had
preached here several years before. The German Evan-
gelical Lutheran Church was organized in 1850 and has
always been strong in numbers and wealth. The Catholic
Church has been in good running order since the war. The
Reformed Church was organized in an early 'day and has
come to stay. We understand they have a fund to draw
from in New York. The county seat question agitated the
public mind for a number of years. In an election held
in 1843, Bath won and the county seat remained there till
1851, when another election was again ordered and Havana,
by a decisive vote, regained the court house. This probably
settled the question for all time, as the north end of the
county has two-thirds of the population. There is one eye
sore. Though the public square is well set with trees and
the grounds covered with a fine coat of blue grass, the
court house is a dingy old building, not fit for a county
like Mason.
We believe we have given as full a history of Havana
township and Havana as the brief limits of this little
volume will warrant and will close up this part of the \vork.
CHAPTER XXVI.
BATH TOWNSHIP
HIS township is in the southwest part of the
county. It is twelve miles long by six miles
wide. It is bounded on the north by Havana
township; on the west by Lynchburg; on the
south by Sangamon river; on the east by Kilbourne town-
ship. The soil is like most of Mason county; of a sandy
nature, but is exceedingly fertile, producing corn, wheat
and oats in great abundance. It is also well fitted to raise
sweet potatoes and water melons in great quantities. About
the time of settlement about one-third of the township was
timber land; the rest was rolling, prairie, well watered by a
string of lakes. The main branch of the Illinois river, but
where it is narrower, diverges from the broader two miles
north of the village of Bath, forming an island west of the
village, some six sections in extent, called Grand Island,
containing several farms and residences.
The first dwelling reared by white men in the present
town of Bath was built by John Stewart and John Gilespie
in 1828.
Gilespie built on the old site of Moscow and Stewart
on Snicarte Island. They were from Tennessee, and,
though they were first settlers, did not remain long, but
removed to Schuyler county. Gilespie left his claim and
Stewart sold out to Amos Rohandson, and he sold to John
Knight, who entered the land. This was the first land
268 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
entered in Bath township. Knight was from the east and
settled here in 1829 and 1830. In a few years he moved
to Fulton county. Henry Sheppard was the first settler
in the north part of the township, locating where the
village of Matanzas afterward stqpd. He was from Penn-
sylvania and is acknowledged to have been the first settler
in that neighborhood. He entered his land in 1832. It is
related of him that he never would allow a plow in his
corn, but cultivated it with his hoe, a mode of farming that
would now be considered peculiar.
The following additions came from Kentucky: Joseph
A. Phelps, T. S. D. Marshall, Col. A. West, Dr. O'Neal,
Major Gatton, Richard Gatton, John S. Wilborn, C. P.
Richardson, Rev. John A. Daniels, James Holland, T. F.
Samuel, Laban and Richard Blunt, William H. Nelms,
John G. and C. Conover, Samuel Pettit and others.
Joseph A. Phelps settled in the township in 1840, but
shortly moved into the village of Bath. He was the first
circuit clerk of Mason county, and was probate judge.
Col. West came to the state in 1828, and settled near
Virginia, and in 1844 came to Bath township and finally
moved to Kansas. After the county seat was moved to
Bath, and before a court house was built, the circuit court
was held at his residence. He was one of the early settlers
of Bath. He acquired the title of colonel by serving in
the Winnebago war.
Dr. O'Neal was a son-in-law of Col. West. He came
from Virginia and settled here in 1843, and finally moved
to Kilbourne township.
Major Gatton came to the state with his father in 1824
and settled in Cass county when he was sixteen years old.
In 1831 he located in Beardstown, and moved to Bath in
1841, soon after the formation of the county. When Major
Gatton settled in Bath, there was but one little pole cabin,
besides his own residence. His brother, R. P. Gatton, had
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 269
come before him to superintend the building, that it might
be ready for his brother's family. It was a hewn log house
and was the second building in Bath. R. P. Gatton lived in
Bath until his death in 1873. Major Gatton engaged in
the grain business and was one of the solid men of Bath.
John F. Wilborn first settled in Beardstown, but moved
to Bath in 1843. He was circuit clerk and postmaster in
Bath. He then moved to Havana, afterwards to his farm
three miles east of Mason City.
Charles P. Richardson is one of the oldest inhabitants
of Bath township, having settled there in 1836. He first
settled on Grand Island for ten or twelve years, then moved
into the village. He came to the state in 1819, the next
year after it was admitted into the union, but did not settle
in this part of the state till 1836. He was one of the chain
carriers to Abraham Lincoln, when he surveyed the village
of Bath. While engaged in the work, the surveyors made
their home with Mr. Richardson, who with Kentucky hos-
pitality, refused all offers of remuneration, but Honest Old
Abe determined to compensate him for the trouble the
surveyors had caused him, and surveyed his land free of
charge.
Rev. John A. Daniels was born in Virginia. He came to
Illinois in 1835 and settled in Cass county, and in 1845
moved in the township. He was one of the pioneer
preachers of the Baptist denomination, and could quote
more scripture in one of his sermons than half a dozen
young preachers of the present day. James Holland, hii
father-in-law, came to the county with him.
The Blunts came next in the "thirties." Thomas F.
and Laban came first. Thomas was a zealous member of
the Baptist Church, and by his own aid built a school
house, to be used also for church purposes, and provided
a teacher for the next winter. He also owned the first
threshing machine and reaper in the county. A few year?
270 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
later Richard Blunt, or as he was more familiarly known
as Dick Blunt, came to the country. He was an original
man and could always get ahead of any man he talked with.
His description of the great hail storm in 1848, when he
described the hail as big as saucers and four inches through,
has never been equalled.
William Nelms came to Bath in 1842. He and Major
Gatton had the first store. Mr. Nelms was one of the
proprietors of Bath.
The Conovers came to the township in 1841 and settled
within a mile of Bath. There were three brothers, Combs,
William and John G.
From Tennessee came Joseph Adkins, Joseph Wallace,
Thomas Bruce, Nelson Ashurst, John Johnson, Matthew
Wiley, Patrick Campbell and his son, George W. Camp-
bell. The Campbells were also among the early settlers.
George Campbell came to Bath as early as 1838, when but
seventeen years old. His father came as early as 1840.
He was a lawyer of some ability and an orator of the
spread eagle style. We heard him introduce Stephen A.
Douglas in Havana in 1858, when he made the old eagle
ashamed of itself. He served the country at the bar in the
legislative hall and on the tented field.
The Dews settled in 1842. There were four brothers:
Joseph, Wallace, William and James. The Bruces came in
1846. Joseph came in 1840 and lived there until his death
in 1878.
Nelson R. Ashurst located in 1839. He died of cholera.
Two sons survived him, one of whom is the originator of
the Ashurst Press Drill, which is manufactured in Havana
today, and which has had a great sale throughout the west.
John Johnson settled just east of the town of Bath in
1837, and then moved to Lynchburg.
Matthew Wiley was among the early settlers. The old
man settled in the Stewart house, which is mentioned as
being one of the first houses built in the township.
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 271
William Banter, a North Carolinian, came to Illinois,
in 1840, and to Bath in the same year. When the county
seat was located at Bath, Mr. Banter put the roof on it.
The three Morrow brothers settled in Bath in 1838. They
were from North Carolina and were much respected.
Thomas Hubbard, a son-in-law of Morrow's, settled in the
south part of the township. He was from Green county.
George A. Barney came from New York in 1833 and set-
tled in Cass county. His grandfather commanded a com-
pany at Springfield, Mass., in an engagement during the
Whisky Insurrection. After coming to Illinois, he was
licensed to preach, and joined the conference. He after-
wards moved to Missouri, but did not remain long on ac-
count of poor health. He then engaged in agricultural
pursuits. He built a large warehouse on Snicarte Slough,
which ran through his farm, but this was burned down by
incendiaries.
Isaac Vail was a native of Ohio, and sprung from a
solid old Buckeye family. He came .to Illinois in 1843,
locating in Vermont, Fulton county, and in 1845 came to
Bath township. He was one of Bath's most energetic
merchants, and to him Bath owes much of its prosperity.
He retired at the age of four score years. Warren Heberling
married one of Vail's daughters.
Smith Turner came in 1838 and settled in the south part
of the township. He was a lawyer of ability. His wife
was a daughter of Drury S. Field. Smith Turner wTas
at one time probate judge. He moved to Missouri during
the Civil War.
V. B. Holmes settled in the vicinity of Matanzas. He
was from Old Virginia. He entered twelve thousand acres
of land for Field. He is remembered as a man of many
peculiarities. He moved to Tazewell and died there. He
bought land near Matanzas from John H. Shulte.
Joseph F. Benner was from Ohio. He assisted in
272 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
building the court house at Bath. Samuel Craggs came
^from England His wife was a sister of Smith Turner.
The Bells, four brothers, were among the early settlers.
All four brothers married sisters in the Morrow family.
William and Daniel were preachers in the Cumberland
Church.
John P. Hudson was a live Yankee. He settled in
Matanzas and run a small mill, whose motive power was an
incline wheel forty feet in diameter. A couple of oxen
would climb the wheel, but never could get to the top.
We used to ride astride a sack of corn to this mill. T. P.
Hudson claims to have introduced the McCormick reaper,
and sold one to William Arnsworth in Lynchburg town-
ship.
The Clodfelters settled in Bath township in 1840. They
came from Morgan county and the family consisted of
Jacob Clodfelter, Sr., and two sons, Jacob and Michael.
Old man Clodfelter moved to Kansas, where he died.
Kean Mahony was an Irishman from the Old Sod. He
laid out an addition to Bath, known as Mahony's addition.
He went to California in 1853 and never returned.
The Beasley family came from New Jersey. They
located in Bath in 1845 and were in the merchandise busi-
ness for several years.
Drury S. Field came some time in the "thirties," and
settled on what is known as Field's Prairie. He was a man
of wealth and entered a fine lot of land. A. E. Field,
his son, was a doctor, also a man of intellect. Mr. Field
raised a large family, most of whom are dead. They settled
in that part of Bath township that was taken off to form
Kilbourne township. Edward Field, father of Drury S.
Field, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Stokes
Edwards was among the pioneers and settled on the line of
Kilbourne township.
John A. Martin came from the sands of New Jersey
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 273
in 1846. He first settled in Mason county, but came to
Bath, where he resided until his death.
Thomas Howard was a brother-in-law of T. S. D. Mar-
shall. Thomas Hardesty came from Peoria, but was
originally from Kentucky, and used to tell many stories
about things that happened in his native state. John B.
Renshaw came in 1845, an^ was one °f tne ^rst black-
smiths in the township.
S. S. Rochester came from Green county somewhere
in the "forties." Gen. J. M. Ruggles came to the state
in 1833. He first came to the county in 1844, but did not
locate until 1846. He settled in Bath and commenced a
mercantile business with Major Gatton. He was elected
to the state senate in the district composed of Sangamon,
Menard and Mason counties. Abraham Lincoln was a
member of the lower house. In 1854 he was appointed
on a committee with Lincoln and Ebenezer Peck to draft
a platform and resolutions for the new party then form-
ing. The other members of the committee being busy,
the duty of drawing up the platform devolved upon Rug-
gles, who drew up the first platform of the Republican
party. In 1861 Governor Yates appointed him quarter-
master of the First Illinois Cavalry. He was soon pro-
moted major. He remained in the regiment until mus-
tered out in 1864. In all positions held by - Gen. Rug-
gles, whether civil or military, his duty was discharged with
faithful fidelity. Gen. Ruggles died in March, 1901, at
Havana, where he had lived many years. He owned a large
lot of land near Kilbourne. Franklin Ruggles, a brother of
Gen. Ruggles, came to Bath in 1851, and took an interest
in a flour mill, then being built by Gatton and Rug-
gles. A saw mill was also built, \vhich was operated by
the same power and did a large business under the super-
intendence of Franklin Ruggles. He died in 1855, leaving
two sons, John and James. John was killed in the battle
of Shilo.
18
274 * HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
I. N. Mitchel was a native born Sucker. His parents
were among the pioneers of Morgan county. When he
was seventeen years old, the family moved to Field's Prairie,
where he worked on a farm until he was twenty-one years
of age. He then located in Bath. In 1867 he was elected
county treasurer; in 1869 he was chosen county clerk. He
held various other offices, in all of which he gave satisfac-
tion. After living in Havana for several decades, he died
two years ago.
Daniel R. Davis and Benjamin Sisson were from New
England. Davis was one of the first settlers on the prairie
east of Bath. He was an old sailor and had been all over
the world. In a fight at Bath, he was struck with a weight
and died from the effects.
Leslie and George Lacy came in 1842. Hugh McCleary
was a jolly Irishman, and many of the early jokes recorded
in early times are traced to him. One beautiful Sunday
morning he slipped out with his gun, when someone asked
him where he was going. He replied that he had an ap-
pointment to meet Mr. Holland and Mr. Lefever, two very
strict church members, down by the river to go hunting
with them and he was afraid he would be late.
Dr. Caloway was an early settler of Bath, and had a
successful practice for several years. John R. Teney was
an old resident of Bath. James M. Robinson came in 1852,
and was the first police magistrate.
The following citizens, mostly of German descent, set-
tled in the township : G. H. Kramer, J. H. and Detrich
Strube, Peter Luly, Adolph Krebaum and John Having-
horst.
Adolph Krebaum was elected circuit clerk in 1845, and
moved to Bath in the same year. He remained there until
1851, when the county seat was moved back to Havana.
Peter Luly was a business man in Bath for a number of
years, but moved to Peoria. John H. Horseman came in
1836. He was a blacksmith by trade.
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 275
Havinghorst was among the early settlers of Bath, but
afterwards kept store in Matanzas. When the first pioneers
settled in Bath township, it was not the highly cultivated
farming district that it is now. Wild prairie, timber land,
marshes and sloughs then, are now fine improved farms.
The timber has been cleared off, prairies turned upside down
and marshes drained, and much land supposed to be worth-
less, is now reckoned the best in the township. In place
of the elegant country reidences there was a cabin of Black
Jack poles. Wolves were plentiful then, with an occasional
panther. The present generation know but little of what
their fathers had to undergo. In early days people had
to go to mill at Duncan's on Spoon river, in Fulton county,
or Simmon's mill on Quiver, which was .the more con-
venient, as it saved ferriage. A few years after McHarry
built his mill, which supplied the county till the Bath mill
was built. The first school was taught by Miss Berry, who
became the wife of T. S. D. Marshall. The first death
was that of Louis Van Court, an old hunter. He was a
bachelor and lived around. He owned a gun, an axe and
a fiddle. Hiram Blunt is supposed to have been the first
born, contesting that honor with Gus Krebaum.
Rev. Shunk was the first minister. He preached in
Gatton's house before there was any other place. Another
of the early preachers was the Rev. John M. Daniels, who
used more quotations from the bible than a half dozen
preachers of the present day. Rev. George A. Barney was
another of the early Methodist preachers. Bath township
has always been Democratic, and in the time of the late war
furnished her full quota without any draft.
THE COUNTY SEAT QUESTION.
Much ill-feeling was engendered by the location of the
county seat. The settlement of the county was always
north of Bath. The county south 'of Bath, where the county
276 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
\
ran down to a wedge, was the best land for settlement and
lay east and north of Havana. Bath, by strategy, man-
aged to hold the capitol for several years. The agitation
was kept up for several years. Finally, an act was passed
authorizing an election to be held in February, 1843, and
as Bath received a majority of the votes, the county seat
was moved to that place until February, 1851, when an-
other election was held, and Havana got the plum by a de-
cided majority and the question was settled for all time.
The people of Havana did not wait until a court house
was built, but rented the upstairs of Dr. Loveland's new
building, also some other rooms for offices, and taking a
couple of wagons, went to Bath and moved the archives
up to Havana. The court house in Bath was sold for a
schoolhouse.
There is a beautiful cemetery in Bath that was surveyed
by General Ruggles.
Bath has been crippled in its business since the C. P.
& St. L. Railroad was built, as a great part of the trade,
that it used to get from Whitehall and Field's Prairie now
goes to Kilbourne. The water navigation is too slow and
uncertain, while the railroads are swift and sure to receive
and deliver freight.
Matanzas and Moscow were two important towns,
Matanzas being laid out in 1839, but they have been wiped
off the map of Mason county as shipping points along the
river. Matanzas Lake used to be a great fishing point. We
saw a man by the name of Menturn make a haul once with
a seine, in which the catch was estimated at thirty thousand
pounds. They were mostly Buffalo fish, some weighing-
fifty pounds. It was before the German carp had been
introduced into the Illinois river. The introduction of the
English sparrow and the German carp into this county
might have been all right in theory, but its results have
not been good, as the sparrow has whipped out most of
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
277
our feathered songsters and the carp has destroyed most
of our game fish by rooting up the bottom of our rivers and
eating all the fish eggs they could find.
Sidora, in the south part of the township, has hardly at-
tained the dignity of a village. It is a grain station, and is
situated on land owned by Joseph Adkins. Considering
the close proximity to Bath and Chandlerville, the shipments
of grain are large.
CHAPTER XXVII.
LYNCHBURG TOWNSHIP
HE FIRST settler in Lynchburg township was
Nelson Abbey in 1854. He came from Ver-
mont and built the first cabin in Section 4.
He sold out and moved to Missouri.
The early settlers were mostly from Kentucky. There
came also from the same state the Rodgers, the Phelps,
Isaac Bright, Jimmie Northen, William P. Finch, Amos
West, William Davis and many others. Davis came as
early as 1838 and made small improvement. He settled
south of Moscow and finally went to California, when the
gold fever broke out. Amos S. West came to Illinois,
settled first in Morgan county and then came to Mason
county in 1844. He located in Mason county, but fina'ly
moved to Kansas. The Phelps came to the neighborhood
in 1838. George W. first located in Cass county and
afterward moved to Bath township, whence he moved to
the place mentioned above. He sold out and went back
to Kentucky. R. J. Phelps was a son-in-law of John Camp
and settled east of Snicarte. His last wife was a sister
of Mark A. Smith, an old settler and prominent citizen of
the township. After the death of his second wife, he mar-
ried again and then moved west. Bright moved into the
township in 1841 and died in 1844. He was justice of the
peace. His widow married one of the Phelps and moved to
Texas. Jimmie Northen came in 1839 or '40. He first
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 279
settled in Cass county, where he remained for a time and
then came to Lynchburg. He had a large family and
owned ajarge farm. He finally sold out and moved away.
The Rodgers came in 1838. William settled one mile west
of Snicarte and John three miles southwest of the same
spot. They were brothers. William was a doctor and
John was a blacksmith. William was a brother-in-law
of Nelson Abbey's. John Rodgers died in 1868. William
P. Finch came in 1842 and was one of the early school-
masters, and also a justice of the peace. A daughter of
his married one of the Phelps'.
Amos Smith came from Vermont and settled in the
township in 1839, about one mile from Snicarte. Amos
Smith, Jr., and Benjamin Smith, his sons, came with teams
to Whitehall, New York, and by canal and Lake Erie
from Buffalo to Cleveland, and by way of the Ohio, Mis-
sissippi and Illinois rivers to Beardstown, where they ar-
rived in 1837. Amos Smith, Jr., was justice of the peace,
an office he held until his death. Benjamin F. Smith was a
carpenter. Mark A. Smith, son of Amos Smith, Sr., came
to the township in 1839. He arrived in Moscow, October
1 5th, with a fortune of 37 cents ready money. When they
landed, the family and goods were left on the bank of the
river, while he went to explore the town to get a team.
He traveled six miles to Nelson Abbey's and returned at
3 o'clock and took his family to Abbey's, where they all
lived until a cabin could be built.
Simon Ward came from North Carolina in 1838. He
followed the occupation of selling wood to steamboats. He
moved to Texas, but came back and died. He set out the
first orchard in 1855. George W. Carpenter was from
Tennessee. He raised a large family and at last moved to
Kansas. James D. Reeves came in 1839. He settled one-
half mile south of Moscow. Rev. John Camp came from
Pennsylvania in 1838 ,and was the first probate judge of
Mason county. He built a horse mill at an early day, where
280 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
the pioneers used to get their hominy ground. Jorm Stewart
was one of the first settlers of Bath township. He settled
first at Snicarte Island and then in Lynchburg. Caleb
Brown and family came from New York; first settled in
Adams county and then in Lynchburg in 1844. He had
two sons and several daughters. Jonathan Sackman came
in 1841, but remained only a year or so. He was a justice
of the peace, but soon moved away. John J. Fletcher, an
Englishman, came at an early day, and was a prominent
citizen for many years. The Marshalls came from Ten-
nessee about 1840. There were four brothers. Elisha
moved to Adams county, and David to Missouri. Thomas
Bowls came in 1839, but was not very popular, as he was
supposed to be issuing money of his own. Ashley Hicky
and Aaron Ray became interested with him. Hicky fur-
nished his means to purchase material and tools for the
enterprise, and Bowls went to St. Louis to make an in-
vestment, but spent the money in spreeing and told, when
he came' back, that he had bought the tools and shipped
them, but, as they did not arrive, he was accused of lying
and swindling and kicked out of the county. James Ingram
came from Indiana in 1840. He was drowned two years
later in Snicarte Slough. Zeph Keith came from Tennessee
in 1843. He was a jolly good fellow, but moved to Kansas.
The Lanes came from Pennsylvania. Pleasant May and his
son William came from Kentucky in 1837. George May,
a brother of Pleasant May, laid out the village of Lynch-
burg. William Bailey was from Kentucky. Thomas
Richard and William Ainsworth were natives of England.,
and came to America in 1842 and located in the township.
Thomas had $800.00. the other two $50.00 apiece, and
they borrowed money from Thomas to enter some land.
The Laymans were from Ohio and moved in 1845. David
Layman was a Virginian and William Howarth came with
the Ainsworths.
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 281
The first religious society was organized by the Metho-
dists in 1838. The early preachers were Rev. Robert Ander-
son and a preacher by the name of Williams (called Daddy
Williams). The first members were John Camp and wife,
George Marshall and wife and James D. Reeves and wife.
A frame church was built in 1850 and dedicated by Peter
Cartright. It is known as the Fairview M. E. Church.
They have a flourishing Sunday school. Thomas Ains-
worth was the first superintendent. William Ainsworth
has served in that capacity for more than a score of years.
Hopeville Baptist Church was organized in 1840, by the
Revs. John Daniels and Thomas Taylor, with eight mem-
bers. It was organized at the residence of William Davis.
Services were held at private houses until a schoolhouse
was built in 1852, and then this was used for church pur-
poses until 1865, when a church was built. A Sunday
school was organized in 1864.
Who taught the first school is hard to find out, but
William Finch was an early teacher. There was a school
taught by Mrs. Camp, a sister of Mark A. Smith before
there were a schoolhouse in the township. H. G. Rice was
the first teacher after the schoolhouse was built.
The first marriage in Lynchburg was that of William
Cole and Nancy May. The first birth was Henry Ward,
son of Simon Ward, born in 1834. The first death was
Mary Jane Smith.
At an early day the people got their mail at Havana,
later at Bath. Snicarte is the nearest to a village in Lynch-
burg township, but has never been laid out or surveyed. A
small grocery store was opened in 1858 by Mark A. Smith
This was enlarged the next year and an extensive stock of
goods put in. Smith sold his stock of goods to Henry C.
. Hoesman. A postoffice was established in 1859, with
Horace Rice as postmaster.
There was a village laid out at an early day by .George
282
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
May, called Lynchburg, but as a town, it never made much
progress. May had his town laid out, then bought a barrel
of whisky, and had a sale of lots, but it would not go.
Fairview consists of a Methodist Church and a school-
house, and derives its name from the fact that a fair
view of .the country is had from the surrounding elevated
hill, on which the buildings are situated.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
QUIVER TOWNSHIP
SETTLEMENT had been made west of the
Creek as early as 1835. No one had ventured
across the Creek, into what is now Quiver town-
ship prior to 1837. John Barnes from Ken-
tucky, had located as early as the first mentioned
date. His wife was truly a helpmate. Her muscular
strength was such that she could split one hundred
and fifty rails a day. At Barnes' home, Joseph Lybarger
stopped a few weeks, before he crossed the Quiver, and be-
gan his improvements. Lybarger was from Pennsylvania
and was a blacksmith by trade. The exact date of his set-
tlement cannot be fixed to a certainty. It is probable it oc-
curred in 1837. Soon after coming he opened up a shop
and for a number of years did the work for that part of the
country. In the summer of 1837, Henry Seymore came
and settled east of Lybarger's. A month later Peter Ring-
house, who had been stopping at St. Louis, came and settled
in the community. Ringhouse was originally from Ger-
many, but had lived in Baltimore before coming west. Wil-
liam Atwatter came from Connecticut and located in the
neighborhood. He served an apprenticeship and followed
his trade for a number of years. He erected a frame build-
ing, probably the first in the township, and began to improve
his farm. For two years after coming, he led the life of a
bachelor and fared with as much happiness as bachelor's
enjoy. The climate did not seem to agree with him, as he
284 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
was annoyed with chills and fever. At one time he deter-
mined to exchange one-half of his land for a horse and
wagon and the tail end of a stock of goods; this he intended
to peddle, hoping to get enough money to leave the country,
"but he was destined to become one of the permanent settlers
of the country. On telling his intentions to a friend, he
persuaded him to stay and get married. Mr. Atwatter was
in favor of the suggestion and in a short time Miss Eliza-
beth Ringhouse became Mrs. Elizabeth Atwatter. He lived
at the place he first settled all his life. His widow still sur-
vives him and is now Mrs. Korell. John Seeley, William
Patterson and a man by the name of Edwards settled near
the bluff timber, in 1840. Isaac Parkhurst moved near
Quiver Creek in 1840 and was a justice of the peace, when
this section was in Tazewell county. During the year ot
1842, Benjamin Ross, Dan Waldron, William E. Magill and
George V. Coon were among the permanent settlers. Ross
was from Tennessee and had settled in Cass county before
coming to Mason. Waldron was from New Jersey and re-
mained a citizen till his death. W. E. Magill came from
Menard. George V. Coon came from New Jersey and set
tied in Green county in 1839. At the same time, Stephen
Brown, his father-in-law, Robert Cross, and Aaron Litell
came and settled by him. Loren Ames, a native of the old
Bay State, came west in 1818 and settled in St. Clair county.
In 1842 he became a citizen of Quiver. He had served in
the Black Hawk war, first as private and afterward as
lieutenant in Col. Fray's noted regiment. William Colwell,
a native of England, first settled in Cass County. In 1842
he came to Quiver township. He died from a kick of a
horse. He was a local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal
church. His son, John Colwell, belongs to the Illinois
conference and is an able preacher. George Steath sold
out to Cross. In 1843 Cross and Litell settled on farms ad-
joining Coon. Fred High, Henry Rakesstraw and Freeman
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 283
Marshall made settlement in 1843. Moses Eckard came
from Maryland, located in Fulton county in 1839 and in
Mason county in 1840. In 1844 he married a daughter
of Pollard Simmonds. He then moved near where the
village of Topeka stood. Most of the settlements, up tx>
this, had been made along the bluff of the Illinois river. In
1847, J- M. McReynolds located in the south side of Quiver
and east of Eckard. Robert McReynolds, the father of
J. M., came from Pennsylvania in 1838 and settled seven
miles east of Havana. In 1849 ne became a citizen of
Quiver township and at an early day was connected with the
interest of the county. In 1845 we find him connected with
the board of county commissioners. In 1849 he was Asso-
ciate Judge with Smith Turner and John Pemberton. In
every position in which he was placed, integrity marked his
course. He was an earnest advocate of Methodism. He
was not only a pioneer in the country, but a pioneer in Meth-
odism. In building his house, an extra large room was
provided in which to hold meetings. Quarterly meetings
were held, over which Peter Cartright presided. On one
occasion over fifty people were there for breakfast. The
first Sunday school in the county was established at hi?
house in 1841, with twelve teachers and twenty-one scholars.
J. M. is following in the footsteps of his father. John
Appleman, Thomas Yates and George Ross came from Ohio
and settled in the part of the township known as Tight Row.
Appleman died years ago, Yates in 1876 and Ross returned
to Ohio on a visit and died. Hugh McHarry, a native of
Ireland, came to this country in 1822. He had come to this
country to make a fortune. He started penniless. His
mind led him to milling. He lived on the Erie canal ; then
in Louisville and came to Beardstown in 1842. In 1843.
he bought the Quiver Mill site, which was only a saw mill ;
then he built a grist mill on the south side of Julius Jones,
Charles Howell and William Pollard, who built the dam.
286 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
The saw mill was in Quiver township, while the grist mill
was in Havana township. McHarry was a large land own-
er, and in war times donated many a sack of flour to the
poor war widows. The first school in the township \v.as
near William Atwatter and was taught by a German named
Vollrath. In addition to the regular school instruction, he
taught music and led the exercises with a fiddle. This feat-
ure was not well received by the parents, as they considered
it a device of the devil to capture and lead their young chil-
dren down the road to ruin, so his services were not needed
a second term. Vollrath was from the south and his high
ideas of southern life did not accord with the western
pioneer life, consequently he was not popular with the
people. Among others who taught in early days were
Charles B. Waldo and George Carem.
The early preaching was in private houses and barns.
Elder Jonah Crawford held a protracted meeting in Lybar-
ger's barn. The meetings were held for a number of years
in William Atwatter's residence. Elder Brockman and
Powell fed the sheep for a number of years. The Presby-
terian church in Tight Row was built in 1853 and had a
flourishing congregation, but remained idle for a number of
years, except on funeral occasions. Among the early minis-
ters were Rev. William Perkins, Andrews and Bennett. The
principal cemetery of the township is connected with this
•church. The first interment was Robert Cross. Since that
time many of the early pioneers have been laid beside him
to sleep till Gabriel shall summon the sleepers to arise. Near
ty stands the Christian Chapel, erected in 1866. Joseph
Lybarger and wife, W. E. Magill and wife, and William
Atwatter and wife, were among the first members. Elders
Judy and Haughey have ministered to their spiritual wel-
fare, since the zeal of the early settlers frequently led them
to attend meetings from ten miles away, often in ox wagons.
William Atwatter and Elizabeth Ringhouse were married
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 287
in 1840 by Esquire Parkhurst. This was undoubtedly the
first marriage in Quiver township, which was at that time
in Tazewell county, and Mr. Atwatter had to procure his
license at Tremont. The first doctor was Dr. Buckner. Dr.
Allen and Dr. Harpham of Havana, also cared for the bod-
ies of the Quiventers. The first birth was Fidelia Lybarger.
The first death was Mrs. Maria Elan, which occurred in
1838. Quiver township was loyal to the old flag in the late
war, many of her sons, yielding up their lives in its defense.
The village of Topeka is seven miles northeast of Ha-
vana and is the only village within the limits of Quiver
township. It was surveyed for Moses Eckard and Richard
Thomas in 1858. In order to secure the town site, Eckard
and Thomas bought one hundred and eighty acres of David
Beal and eighty acres was made into the town plat. Forty
acres were donated to the railroad company in order to se-
cure the station. The first resident of the town was J. L.
Yates, a blacksmith, who had worked at McHarry's mill
previous to coming to Topeka. Dr. E. Z. Nichols built the
second house and was the first doctor. Harrison Venard
was the third resident. He was from Ohio and with Ben
Rosebrough started the first store, which in a couple of
months was under the name of Venard & Musleman. A
second store was opened by Musleman and Aaron Litell.
Other business men came, till it seemed that Topeka was on
the road to prosperity. A grain warehouse was built in
1860 by Moses Eckard. R. W. Stires of St. Louis, was the
first to buy grain and Porter & Walker operated at different
times. The grain was handled in sacks and shipped in flat
cars. Flower Allen and Sherman built a cheap constructed
elevator. Low and Foster came next and entered the ring|
A neat and substantial depot was soon erected. Harrison
Venard was the first agent.
The Methodist church was built in 1865. The Rev. T.
J. Simmons was the first preacher. The postoffice was es-
288 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
tablished in 1860. The village was incorporated in accord-
ance with an act of the legislature in 1869. Samuel Yates,
Philip Brown and Robert G. Rider were elected as trustees.
The board organized by electing Samuel Yates, president;
F. S. Allen, clerk; Philip Brown, police magistrate, and
James Norman, constable. The income was very light
from license of any kind and the improvements were paid
by taxation or by contribution. The population of Topeka
is small and, while it does not grow, it manages to hold its
own.
The early settlers in the northern part of Quiver township
were the Himmels, of which there were several families.
Peter Himmel moved from Petersburg away back in the
"forties" and there was George Himmel, who lived south of
Havana, and Adam and John Himmel. These men had large
families. There was also Henry Bishop and a score of
others, but it would take 1,000 pages to do them all justice.
CHAPTER XXIX.
FOREST CITY TOWNSHIP
HIS township is bounded on the north by Manito
township, on the south by Pennsylvania and
Sherman, on the west by Quiver township.
It is the smallest of the thirteen townships.
The soil and general characteristics of the soil do not differ
from the adjoining townships. Timber land is found in
the north part of the township. Quiver Creek is a small
stream flowing through from east to west and this, with
artificial drainage, makes it a good agricultural township.
It was first called Mason Plain, but the name was changed
to Forest City in 1873, the reason being that mistakes oc-
curred through confusing it with Mason City.
There was no settlement in that township before 1840.
Robert Cross came from New Jersey and 'settled in Green
county in 1839. In 1842 there were only four or five
houses standing in what is now Forest City township,
the following . named persons constituting the residents :
Henry Bishop, A. Winthrow, Peter Himmel, A. File and
Stephen Hedge. Winthrow came there in 1840 and was
no doubt the first settler. Mr. Cross thinks that Himmel,
File and Hedge came in 1842. Winthrow, File and Him-
mel came from Germany ; Hedge came from Fulton county.
After a few years' residence, Hedge moved back to Fulton
county and died there. At the same time, there lived across
the line of Manito, Ray - — , Riley Morris and Abel
Maloney. In 1846 Alex Pemberton and a man by the
19
290 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
name of Babbit settled south of Forest City. They were
the first to venture away from the woods. Alex Cross
came up from Quiver and settled south of Forest City
the same year. Slicky Bill Green and his brother, Nult
Green, were from Menard and William Cooleridge was
from Tennessee. The Greens settled on the south side of
Quiver. In 1852 Bill sold out to George Neikirk and
moved to Menard county. His brother, Nult, moved to
McDonough county. In 1850 the west side of the town-
ship was increased by the coming of August Webber,
• Greenfelter, E. Harpst, the Weslings, Wemhoffs
and Kreilings. They were all German and made good citi-
zens. William and Garrett Bruning and Fred Lux all
pitched their tents in the county. In the spring of 1852
a large influx came. T. H. Ellsworth, Joseph Ellsworth,
William Ellsworth and W. E. Ellsworth all came from
Fulton county. T. G. Onstot came from Havana. The
Neikirk family came from Ohio. John Bowser came from
Ohio at the same time as Carl Gamble, Silas Cheek, Fred
Foster, John Martin, (called Owlpatch Martin), William
Ewers and Long John Martin. Samuel Ingersoll located
north of Red Oak Grove, but has been dead a score of years.
Many of the inconveniences that surrounded Quiver
and Manito townships surrounded Forest City. They had
to haul their grain a long way to market and had to haul
their lumber home the same distance. Their principal mar-
kets were Pekin and Havana. For milling they had to
go to Mackinaw or across into Fulton county. The journey
to Mackinaw mills generally took four days, as they al-
ways waited for their grist, even if it took a week. Sim-
mond's and McHarry's mill of Quiver in a fewr years
saved the people from going so far. While .the early set-
tlers had many inconveniences, they also had many o±
the blessings that we cannot now boast of. They had all
kinds of game, that could be had for the killing. It did
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 291
not require hunting, as there was always an abundance on
hand. Alex Cross, who is considered truthful, says that on
one occasion he had counted fifty deer in one drove and
they began to come so fast that he lost the count. T. H.
Ellsworth, who seldom exaggerates, saw fifty-six by actual
count. Wild game was so abundant that farmers had to
drive them out of their fields as they would a drove of
swine. Civilization has driven out all of the deer. Dan
Westfall, with a pack of hounds, settled the deer question
at the close of the war. Vast and mighty changes have
come over the country ii; the last fifty years, and the youth
of today never forget hearing the pioneers of the past
tell of the times and of the game, that used to roam at
will over the vast prairies. The hunter of today would have
gone wild over the amount of game we had in early times.
Only enough game was killed to supply the table, as there
was no way to ship the surplus.
The first preacher in the township was Rev. Garner.
He had an appointment every three weeks at William
Ewers', a half mile south of Forest City, on Thursday af-
ternoon at 3 p. m. The early pioneers would all turn out
to hear Bro. Garner. Some would come in their two horse
wagons, some on horseback and some in their ox wagons.
The preacher would give his hymn and all would reverent-
ly take part, and when the meeting was over the audience
would not do as they do now, take their hats and run, but
have a kind of old settlers meeting and inquire all about
their neighbors and go home with a perfect knowledge
of what was going on in the neighborhood. Among the
other Methodist preachers were Rutledge Randall and Peter
Cartright. These were the men who planted Methodism
on these fertile prairies. Rev. William Perkins, a Pres-
byterian, occasionally ministered to those who were in-
clined to that doctrine. The meetings were held in private
houses, till schoolhouses were built, which, . besides being
292 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
used for school purposes, were used for preaching places
and for elections. The first schoolhouse in the township
was Union No. i, about a mile and a half south of Forest
City. John Covington was the first teacher. Other houses
were built as fast as the population required them. The
houses were neat frame buildings.
The first Sunday school was organized by Thomas H.
Ellsworth in the spring of 1853. William Ellsworth was
the first superintendent. It was held at a private house
till the building of the schoolhouse in 1854, when it was
transferred to that point. The German Methodist and
the Evangelical soon built houses of worship. The Al-
bright Church was built in 1856, but soon grew, till it had
to be rebuilt. There are forty acres of land, with a good
parsonage with the church; also a well kept cemetery.
Forest City has a large German population, who are all
good citizens. Taking all together, Forest City will com-
pare with adjoining townships.
The village of Forest City was surveyed in 1859 by J. F.
Cuppel and Alex Cross and for Walker, Kemp, Wright and
Wagonseller. It contained forty-seven acres. An addition
of twenty acres was afterwards made in the north part of
the town in 1865 by David S. Broderick. The lines of the
original survey ran north and south, but were never re-
corded. The town runs parallel with the railroad. The
town is seventeen miles south of Pekin and thirteen miles
north of Havana. Alex Cross built the first residence in
the town. T. H. Ellsworth built a residence in 1860.
Josiah Jackson, S. T. Walker, T. A. Gibson and E. T.
Neikirk were among the early citizens of the place. Cross
and Walker built the first store house and began mer-
chandising in 1 86 1. Rogers and brother built the second
and opened it up. The business grew, till there were sev-
eral stores in the village. A large amount of grain was
shipped on flat cars to Havana in the early part of the
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
293
"sixties." The grain would be sacked and piled up on the
track and when the train came along the owner would
have a lot of men to load one hundred and fifty sacks,
as he had the privilege to ride on his load of grain to Ha-
vana. The High school building was erected in 1877. The
first physician was Dr. Mostiler and was the first to locate
near the town. E. G. Nichols was here quite early. Dr.
James Walker came next. A lodge of Good Templars was
organized in 1865. A good substantial iron bridge over
Quiver was erected just south of the town. The first iron
bridge in the county was built somewhere in the "seventies"
and the road across the bottom, which had been impass-
able for loaded teams, was gravelled with one hundred
loads of gravel. Forest City was without any settlements
half a century ago. Now it is dotted all over with fine
farm houses, large barns and towering wind mills. The
people ride in fine carriages and they are intelligent. It
has the finest looking women, the best cattle, the best
horses, the most intelligent children in the county and
furthermore the deponent saith not.
CHAPTER XXX.
MANITO TOWNSHIP
HE township of Manito is situated in the north-
eastern part of Mason county and comprises
about forty-five sections. It is somewhat ir-
regular in shape, being eight miles along its
northern boundary by nine miles north and south along its
eastern line ; the extreme west line is four miles from north to
south. With the exception of two or three small groves in
the north and northwestern portions of the township, the
entire township is a vast, level prairie. The central,
eastern and southeastern portions are flat, but susceptible
of drainage. When the first settlers came, much of this
county was set down as swamp lands, but this, by artificial
drainage, has been converted into the most productive farms
in her limits ; and where once wild geese and ducks in
countless numbers swam lazily or floated calmly undis-
turbed upon the stagnant water, may now be seen finely
cultivated farms teeming with the golden harvest.
The soil is a deep black loam, mixed with sand, but is
exceptionally fertile and productive. Indeed, such a vast
amount of corn, wheat and oats are produced in Manito
township that it is justly called Egypt. Water is easily
obtained by drive wells in any part of the township and
when a well is once made an inexhaustible supply of water
is obtained for all time, and the farmer has only to erect
a wind mill over the well to have a running stream that
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 295
will water his herds and flocks with pure and fresh water
the year round. The northwestern part of the township
is more broken and the soil is lighter, but produces well.
The soil can stand drought or wet weather longer than
Egypt of old.
Manito township is thus bounded : It lies north of
Forest City, east of Quiver and south and west of Tazewell.
Black Oak Grove in the northeast, Coon Grove in the cen-
ter and Long Point in the west comprise the timber to be
found in Manito. Walnut Grove is a small piece of tim-
ber west of Manito. As was the case in other parts of the
county, the first settlements were made in the timber. No
matter how unproductive the land along the timber belt,
nor how rich the prairie might be, the early pioneer built
his cabin and began to clear out a farm in the brush, leaving
to his successor the fine prairie lands to improve.
The first settler was one William Herron, who settled
in 1838, east of the village of Manito. He had corne from
Ohio to Mackinaw and then to Mason county and settled
in Black Oak Grove. His sister kept house for him. He
died and was buried on his farm. Few, if any, of the
present generation can point out his grave. At or near this
time came Stephen W. Porter with his wife and settled
in the corporate limits of Manito near the edge of the pond.
Porter was a nephew of Herron's and also came from Macki-
naw. A man by the name of Ray settled between Coon
Grove and Long Point, on the farm now owned by W. H.
Cogdel. In 1840 he built a cabin, which was the third
permanent settlement in the township. Soon after he came
he planted some apple seeds. Some of the apple trees are
still standing near the railroad. After a few years' resi-
dence he sold out to Cogdel and started back to New York,
but died on the way. Labor was very low and money scarce
and a man could hire his rails made for twenty-five cents
per hundred and take his pay in meat at twelve and a half
cents a pound.
296 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
Among the settlers who came as early as 1845 were Abel
Maloney, Layton Rice, George Baxter, John Davis, King
Hibbard, James Green, Thomas Landreth, Zeno Ashmore,
William Mayes, Douglas Ossborn and Wesley Brisborn.
Maloney came from Virginia and first settled in Menard
county in 1838. Coming to Manito in 1841, he settled near
the Union Station. We was in poor circumstances when he
came, but accumulated means rapidly and was considered
wealthy at the time of his death, which occurred in 1849.
Rice came from Kentucky and first settled in Menard
county, but came to Coon Grove in 1842. George Baxter
was from Kentucky, but settled in Long Point as early as
1842. He was somewhat noted among the early settlers
for his matrimonial taste, as his wife had some African
blood in her veins. He had come to Illinois that he might
enjoy connubial bliss unmolested, but it seemed that the
people were against him and he was entered out by Robert
Green. He next located near Simmond's Mill, finally mov-
ing west, and no more was heard of him.
Davis settled on the Randolph farm. He was remembered
among the pioneers as the man who was never seen wear-
ing a glove or a mitten, no matter how cold it was, he was
always bare handed.
Hibbard came from Mackinaw and settled in the north
part of Black Oak Grove. In a few years he sold out and
bought three yoke of oxen from Thomas Landreth and
started for Oregon, but was never heard of afterwards.
James Green came from Menard county, but in a few
years moved back. About the same time Zeno and Calvin
Ashmore came from Indiana. Calvin was known as
Jehinky. They were a shiftless set.
Thomas Landreth came from- Virginia and settled at
Mackinaw as early as 1825. In 1844 he came to Coon
Grove and bought the claim of Layton Rice. Landreth
became a permanent settler. When he came he had a family
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 297
of six children. He was twice married and was the father
of twenty-two children.
William Mayes and Douglas Ossborn were from Ken-
tucky, the Brisborns from Mackinaw. Mayes was known
by the name of "Ham Legs." He was so called on ac-
count of being very bow-legged.
While this portion of the country did not increase in
population very rapidly until some years later, still there
was a steady growth. As early as 1850 we can add to the
names already given James Overton, Amos Ganson, Wil-
liam and Nult Green and Col. Robert Moore. Jacobs was
from New York, Overton from Kentucky. Amos Ganson
settled in Egypt and opened up a blacksmith shop. Col.
Moore was from Kentucky. His parents settled in Menard
county. He was a soldier in the Mexican War. He located
his land warrant in Manito township, becoming a resident
in 1849. He helped to build up the village of Spring Lake.
He built a warehouse and engaged in the grain business
as early as 1852.
John Pemberton (called Uncle Jacky), Emery Hall,
Matthew Langston, James M. Langston, M. W. Rogers,
James K. Cox, Riley Morris and John O. Randolph were
citizens of Manito township as early as 1851; the rest all
came in 1850. The Langstons came from Tennessee to
Morgan county, and Rogers was from Kentucky. The
Langstons and Rogers purchased improvements from
James McCoy. Joseph Luse settled in the neighborhood
and after living there fifteen years returned to England.
James K. Cox was a native of Virginia.
When the settlers first came, the prairie stretching back
east -from the river was a grand, imposing scene as far as
the eye could reach. The tall, blue stemmed prairie grass
was waving like the boundless sea, and this, with myriads
of flowers of all colors and hues, awakened feelings of
admiration, which the finest landscape failed to inspire.
298 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
Many of the flowers planted by Nature's God far surpassed
in beauty those of rarest culture of today. Every fall the
whole face of the country was swept by fire, the flames of
which would sweep high up in the heavens, then descend,
reaching a hundred feet ahead. None but those who have
seen our prairie fires of thirty years ago can comprehend
their grandeur.
At the date of the early settlement, game of all kinds
was plentiful. It was not uncommon to see herds of deer
in droves of from seventy-five to one hundred and their
course was plainly marked by the parting of the tall grass.
Oft times they would come within gunshot reach of the
pioneer's cabin; oft times they would destroy the settlers'
garden in one night. Wild geese, ducks and cranes were in
abundance and annoyed the pioneer by destroying his crops.
The wolf and the fox came in for their share by robbing
hen roosts, pig sties and sheep cotes.
When Abel Maloney first came, he brought his two
oldest boys, William and John, and some little stock.
After building his cabin he returned to Menard county
for his wife and the rest of the family, leaving the boys to
take care of the house and look after the stock. William
thus relates the experience : "After my father left us, a
rain set in which so raised the Sangamon and Salt Creek
that he could not return for four weeks. At night the boys
would take the geese and ducks and chickens, with the dogs
into the cabin and lock the doors. As soon as twilight
appeared, the wolves began their nightly orgies, and be-
tween the squealing of the hogs and the howling of the
wolves night was rendered hideous. Indeed, they some-
times feared that from the vigor with which the wolves
scratched at the door, they might effect an entrance and
make mince meat of their bodies. When Abel Maloney
returned home, not a hog was left. The old folks were
welcomed heartily on their return."
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 299
Coon Grove derived its name from the vast number of
coons found there in the early days. The woods were
full of them. Many of the trees were hollow and had
Indian ladders beside them, saplings with the limbs cut
off some distance from the body, and holes chopped into
the trees, evidently the work of the Indians in attempts to
catch the coon. Mr. Maloney states that at certain sea-
sons of the year they would go out into the fields and drive
them out like sheep, so destructive were they to their crops.
The pioneers by no means lived a life of luxury. Homes
were to be provided, farms were to be made and farm im-
plements provided for the successful cultivation. Money
was scarce, for they were men of limited means who had
left their homes to try their fortunes in a new country.
Their milling was done twenty miles away; their trading
was done in Pekin, Mackinaw, Delavan and Havana. At
these points they sold their produce and bought their dry
goods and groceries. In times of high water they would
take their grist to Spring Lake "by ox teams and then by
skiff to Utica, rowing a distance of from eight to ten miles.
If a plow needed repairing it must be taken to Pekin,
Mackinaw or Havana. It took all summer to raise a crop
and all winter to deliver it.
An unfailing indication that the Sabbath day had come
was to see the women equipped with fishing tackle and the
men with guns, all parties headed for Spring Lake. Here
the day was passed in pleasure seeking and merry making.
Sometimes the men would stake off a race course and in-
dulge in foot racing. We are by no means to conclude
that they were savage in their disposition, for no one was
more hospitable to a stranger in need than were the early
settlers in Manito. It was simply their way of enjoying
themselves. Fighting and quarreling were almost unknown
among them and if friendly fist cuffs sometimes occurred
they generally quit good friends. They did not neglect
300 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
the education of their children, so we find them at an early
day building schoolhouses and maintaining schools by sub-
scriptions. The first schoolhouse in the township was at
Coon Grove near Samuel Starrett's. The house was a log
cabin sixteen feet square and had a window of three lights.
It may have been a little dark on cloudy days, but was
well adapted for its purpose. It was covered with clap-
boards, and the drops of rain came down inside as well as
outside. Stephen W. Porter was the first teacher. The
second shoolhouse was a hewn log house built within the
present limits of Manito. Miss Adeline Broderick and Mrs.
Rachel Ott were among the first teachers.
The first postoffice in Manito township was kept by
Col. R. S. Moore at his residence on the Peter Gay farm.
This was established in 1857, in the route from Havana
to Delavan. It was called Pilot Hill, being named after
a big hill nearby. A year or so later it was father south
at the residence of John Pemberton. At a still later date
it was taken to Berkdresser's store at Egypt Station, and
finally, when the railroad station was moved to Manito,
the name of Manito was given to the office.
The Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian Churches came
with the first settlers. Rev. William Colvell, a Methodist
preacher, was probably the first. He was an Englishman
and lived in the east end of Tight Row. He preached at
Bro. Paul's at Spring Lake and at the end of his meetings
he took a vote whether they wanted any more meetings or
not. Colvell was a local preacher and Bro. Paul voted to
have meetings, saying that he was in favor of meetings,
"if it was not quite so good." .In 1853, Peter Cartright
held a campmeeting at Walnut Grove, when many people
were converted.
Dr. John Allen, who resided near McHarry's Mill, was
the first doctor that practiced medicine in the township.
Dr. Mostiler came next. He studied under Allen. The
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 301
first resident practitioner was Dr. J. B. Meggs who came
from Macoupin county. Richard L. Porter was the first
child born in the township. The first death was that of
Wm. Herron. The first wedding was that of Alexander
Grove and Polly Ashmore. Among the citizens who have
been honored are John Pemberton and Matthew Langston.
Uncle Jacky was chosen associate justice of the county in
1849. He was chosen to represent the county in the lower
house at an early day. It is said that Uncle Jacky was a
great man to electioneer and sometimes would get over in
Tazewell to get votes. A vote was taken for and against
township organization in 1861, the vote for adoption being
carried. The Hon. Lyman Lacy, of Havana, Major Gatton,
of Bath, and Matthew Langston, of Manito, were chosen
commissioners to divide the county in townships, and Mat-
thew Langston was the supervisor for three terms in suc-
cession. In 1865 he was elected to the office of county
judge, but resigned at the close of two years. In 1871 he
was elected to the legislature, and then engaged in mer-
chandising in Manito.
THE ALLWOOD TRAGEDY
In 1849 or 1850, Benjamin Allwood, with two sons,
Jack and Hugh- Allwood, settled south of Manito. The
Allwood family had some money and entered a lot of the
best land in the township. From various causes they be-
came unpopular with their neighbors. The feeling grew
until it culminated in open demonstrations, and in 1854 a
partly in disguise waited on the Allwoods and informed them
that they must leave the county. The Allwoods told them
that they had come to stay and did not intend to be fright-
ened away. Not long afterwards, a crop of wheat was burned
302 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
in the stack. It was the impression that the Allwoods knew
something about the burning of the wheat and the Allwood
crop was burned in retaliation. This was followed up by
the burning of the house and the shooting of Hugh and one
of his sisters. The shooting, however, did not prove fatal.
After the burning of their home, the Allwood family moved
to Quiver and remained a short time. Returning, they
built a hewn log house and set about raising crops. In
the fall of 1856, while Jack Allwood was in his field cut-
ting up corn, he was shot by unknown parties and killed.
This put an end to the prosecution of the parties supposed
to have been engaged in the destruction of their crops.
VILLAGE OF MANITO
The village of Manito was surveyed and platted by
James Boggs for James K. Cox, Robert M. Cox and Wil-
liam A. Langston. In 1858, soon after laying out the town,
Hugh Fullerton, of Havana, acquired an interest for the
influence exerted by him in securing the site for a depot.
One hundred and ten acres were laid out in blocks, streets
and alleys. Manito did not increase, much until the close of
the war.
Egypt Station had the advantage in the beginning, as
she already had the advantage of two or more stores and
the postoffice, but Manito secured the depot, and the scepter
departed from Egypt. Spring Lake was established in 1851
and contributed to the building up of Manito by giving her
business men and population to swell the newly begun vil-
lage. The residence of James K. Cox stood near the cen-
ter of the town. The first business house was erected by
Jams K. Cox and occupied by E. A. Rosher as a general
merchandise store. The second store was kept by J. P. and
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 303
A. Trent. A. M. Pollard opened a grocery store in 1861.
S. Mosher started a drug store in 1865. In 1868 Smith,
Hippen & Co. built an elevator at a cost of $5,000.00, which
was operated by Fred Knollhoff. Previous to the building
of the elevator, J. P. Cranvill had bought grain and shipped
it in sacks. J. A. McComas built an elevator in 1878.
Grier & Co., of Peoria, took charge of it ; it was burned in
1879. The village of Manito is conceded to be the best
grain point between Pekin and Havana. The village was
incorporated under the Springfield and Quincy act in 1866,
and continued under this act until 1875, when it was re-
organized under the general law for cities and villages.
The Methodist Church was first built in 1867. Among the
early preachers we find the names of Middleton, Sloan and
Goldsmith. Rev. Sloan walked over his circuit. He said
his master never rode and that he was no better than his
master. He always wore a blue jeans suit. In 1870 J. N.
Shantholzer erected a steam mill, having two runs of stones
and capable of turning out twenty barrels a day.
The early settlers of the village were fond of playing
jokes upon each other and sometimes attacked strangers.
Before it was incorporated, a man by the name of Moore
came there and desired a license to keep a saloon. He ap-
proached Joe Cranvill on the subject. Joe charged him
$25.00, which he paid. Joe shoved the money down into
his pocket and then, letting the boys into the secret, spent
most of it in setting them up. Nothing was said about it
and it was some time before the man found out that he had
been tricked out of his money.
The early citizens will remember the days when the
High Cod court existed. It was not a chartered institu-
tion, but it existed. Some individual would be charged
with a crime and the court would assemble and proceed to
try the offender. The person presiding was called "Honor-
able Judge Advocate," and his opinion was final in all
304
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
matters that came before him. Witnesses were called who
were not expected to tell the truth. Indeed, the oath ad-
ministered had a saving clause for the prosecution in these
words : "And you furthermore swear that you will not
tell the truth in the case now pending." No matter how
clearly the defendant might prove his innocence, convic-
tion was sure to follow. The penalty was the drinks for
the crowd and usually cost the defendant $1.00. But those
days have long since passed away and yet the old citizens
love to recount them and live over their early days of fun
and frolic. The name "Manito" was taken from the In-
dian word, "Manitou," the meaning of which can hardly
be determined.
CHAPTER XXXI.
ALLEN'S GROVE TOWNSHIP
HE FIRST settler in Allen's Grove township,
that we have any account of, was a man named
Allen. He came to the grove, that bears his
name in 1830. He had a crop of wheat the
winter of the deep snow, having forty acres which is said
to have yielded fifty bushels per acre. What disposition
he made of it is not known, as there was no market nearer
than Pekin or Peoria. It is said by some, that a man by the
name of Smith settled there about the same time. Both
were -bachelors. Of Smith nothing is known. Allen is
said to have come from Kentucky and, after staying at
the Grove two years, to have gone to St. Louis. The
account given of these two primitive squatters is more tra-
ditional than historical. David Taylor came from Ten-
nessee in 1831 and bought Allen's claim. He resided there
till his death and was buried near the spot where he had
lived so many years. A number of his relatives are still
living in the township. The first entry of land in the town-
ship was made by Benjamin Kellogg, of Pekin. This was
under a patent from the United States, bearing date Sep-
tember 29, 1832. Samuel Larrimore had settled near
Mackinaw in an early day and came to Allen's Grove near
the close of the "thirties," though the exact date of his
removal could not be ascertained. He remained a citizen
until he moved to Kansas. James Higgins and James
Sherry came there early in 1844 from Kentucky. Sherry
20
306 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
was a single man but married a daughter of David Taylor.
Settlements were made slowly for several years until
land began to grow scarce in favored localities. Harvey
Hawthorn settled east of the Grove in 1848. He was from
Kentucky, but moved from Crane Creek before he came to
Allen's Grove. After a residence of several years he moved
back to Crane Creek. About the same time the settlement
was increased by the coming of Hiram Stanton, Alex.
Woods, Levi Engle and George Alkers. Stanton was from
New Jersey, Woods and Alkers from Ohio, while Engle
was a Hoosier and also a preacher. These were all in
the township before 1850. During the years of 1850 and
1851 the following new settlers came in: Samuel Hingle-
ford, George and Lewis Dowell, John Nagle, William Legg,
Hank Wadkins, Benjamin Davenport, Joseph Taylor.
George Leoni and Jackson Houchin. These all settled not
far from the Grove, and it was some years later before any
settlers had courage to venture out on the prairies. The
most of those who located in the township as early as
1851, have crossed the dark river or sought other fields
of labor. Jack Roundtree came from Ohio in 1851 with
Magee. He had quite an amount of money for one in those
days and, there being no banks at that time, he intrusted
it to Mother Earth. Some time after burying it he decided
to make a draw on his bank and after much fruitless search-
ing he gave it up for lost. Some days after, a hen scratch-
ing for her daily food, scratched it up and brought the
lost treasure to the surface. The Houchin family came
from Kentucky to Indiana in 1836. In 1850 Jackson sev-
ered the ties that bound him to the paternal roof, and set
sail in an ox team for Mason county. He built a cabin
and spent the summer and winter of 1850 in Salt Creek
township. In 1851 he came to Allen's Grove, entered a
quarter section, built a cabin and began farming. At the
date of his settlement, but three cabins had been erected.
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 307
On the road to Delavan, a distance of fourteen miles, on
either hand the broad expanse of prairie stretched away
as far as the eye could reach. The first year after Houchin
came proved to be a very sickly one, and to such an extent
did bilious fever, flux, chills and fever prevail that there
were but two well families in the whole settlement. The
doctors \vere not then found, as now, on every cross road
and in every town and hamlet. Hiram Sykes, who in this
day would be considered a "home made physician," lived
in Sugar Grove and to his hands the entire settlement com-
mitted their destiny. By strict attention to his patients he
restored them to health and at the end of a month's faith-
ful service he had so conquered the disease as to be per-
mitted to visit his own home, the first time since coming to
Allen's Grove. The following year, a difficulty having
arisen between .him and his son, he mounted his horse
and rode away and did not return. During the years
of 1852 and 1853 the names of Daniel Dillon, Jonathan
Hyatt, Talmon and the McKinneys were added to the
settlers of the township. Dillon was a native of North
Carolina. Eight brothers of them came west and settled
on the north side of Mackinaw in 1822. They opened up
farms near Tremont in what is now Dillon township. The
red men in the forest were their only neighbors. Their early
habitations gave rest and comfort to many a way worn
traveler without money or price. At the time of settle-
ment, they were included in the limits of Sangamon county.
His brother, Nathan, was a justice of the peace and his
jurisdiction extended to Chicago. Daniel Dillon took up
his' residence in Allen's Grove township in 1852. He was
one of the proprietors of San Jose. Hyatt and the Mc-
Kinneys were from Indiana. Talmon was from the east
and had spent much of his life upon the sea. The nearest
trading point was Delavan. To purchase the smallest
amount of merchandise it required a journey of thirty
308 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
'miles; to get a plow sharpened, it took the same amount
of travel. Their milling was done at Mackinaw, either at
Doolittle's or Woodrow's mills. Their mail was also re-
ceived from Delavan.
The era of railroads gave every section conveniences to
which they were strangers before. Dr. J. P. Walker was
the first medical practitioner. In 1857 he helped to lay out
Mason City and in 1859 made it his permanent home. The
first school building was erected in 1853. The old log
schoolhouse is still dear to memory. The first teacher was
a Miss Woods, daughter of Aleck Woods. The earliest
religious services were held by the Rev. Levi Engle, a
preacher of the new light order. Rev. George Miller was
the first circuit rider. Meetings were held in private houses
till the schoolhouse was built. The remarkable hail storm
that occurred throughout this section of the country on
the 2/th of May, 1852, is well remembered by the settlers.
The storm was of short duration, yet the vast amount of
hail that fell to the depth of six feet drifted so that on the
Fourth of July following, large quantities could be
gathered up. Mr. Houchin was an eye witness to this fact.
As late as 1851 four-fifths of the land in the township had
not been entered. During the years of 1851 and 1852 large
tracts were entered by capitalists.
With the completion of the C. & A. Railroad from
Jacksonville to Bloomington came a flood of settlers and
the establishment of towns along its line. Though of but
recent settlement when compared with other sections of
the county, in the importance and value of its products it
ranks second to none in the county. It embraces within
its limits large areas as well adapted to agriculture as any
to be found in this entire region. Her educational inter-
est has kept pace with her rapid development; she is well
supplied with schoolhouses in which school is kept most OL
the year.
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 309
VILLAGE OF SAN JOSE.
This village is in the extreme northeast part of the
township and was surveyed and platted by E. Z. Hunt,
county surveyor, in 1857 for Daniel Dillon, Alexander W.
Morgan, Silas Parker and Zenas B. Redder. The original
plat contained fifteen blocks, three hundred feet square, and
eleven fractional blocks. These were subdivided into two
hundred and thirty-five lots and fifteen fractional lots. The
lots adjoining the railroad were donated to the company
to secure the location of the depot. After laying out the
village, a public sale of lots was held and $3,000 was
realized. Private sales were made until $4,000 or $5,000
was realized. The investment in many instances proved a
loss, inasmuch as the town failed to grow as rapidly as
the purchasers anticipated, and many, feeling that they had
made a bad investment, sold their interest at a sacrifice.
Moses C. Hicks made an addition in 1868. At a later
date, Willis Graft and John Lineberger made an addition
on the east. This last was just across the line in Logan
county. Moses C. Hicks erected the first residence in the
village — a business house and residence combined. In this
building he opened a general stock of merchandise in 1858.
He came from Atlanta, Logan county, where he had been
engaged in the same business. The second building was
erected by Morgan and Luper and was occupied as a hard-
ware store. Dillon and Morgan soon became the pro-
prietors of this store, and at the end of six months Dillon
bought Morgan out. With the exception of a few small
buildings, the village took a rest for a few years. On the
prospective completion of the railroad, a new life was in-
fused into the almost defunct village, and a number of
dwellings and business houses were built. Nat Beardsley,
from Jerseyville, opened up a stock of merchandise in 1862
3io HISTORY OF MASON COUNTA
and 1863, and after operating it for two years sold it to
Dr. Knapp and went back to Jersey ville. In 1865 Dr.
Charles D. Knapp built and opened a drug store. Hull
and Morrison came from Henry in 1866, moving into a
building occupied by Chestnut as a hardware store. In
time, others came, and San Jose was soon on a firm basis.
The first grain merchants were Beck and Scott, who
began the handling of grain in 1866. A warehouse, built
by Peter Defries, was converted into an elevator by Buck
and Brother and was the first in the village. In 1866
Moses C. Hicks built a steam elevator, which was de-
stroyed by fire in 1868. Thomas Little operated a ware-
house here and then moved it to Teheran. Moses C. Hicks
erected a large and commodious hotel at a cost of $6,000;
at one time he had forty-two regular boarders, besides the
transient customers. In the same year, C. B. Vanhorn
moved the machinery of the grist mill from Atlanta and
began to manufacture flour.
Allen's Grove lies high and dry. Towards the west,
for twenty miles, the land was once a swamp and was not
considered of much value. To the south of the Grove, high
land is soon struck. On the north the swamp extended
for ten miles, but with artificial drainage the whole country
has been changed and no finer body of land is to be found.
The Linewebber ditch drains the water from the swamp
ground and the country has become a paradise for the
farmer. The country north of Allen's Grove is a high
ridge where you can have a view for fifteen miles west.
Allen's Grove is nearly twenty miles from Forest City, yet
it is in plain view and would not be taken to be more than
ten miles. One-half of San Jose is in Mason county, the
other half in Logan county. At San Jose three counties
can be seen at one glance, namely, Mason, Logan and Taze-
well.
CHAPTER XXXII.
PENNSYLVANIA TOWNSHIP
ENNSYLVANIA township is in Township 21,
Range 6, west of the Third Principal Meridan,
and is bounded on the north by Forest City and
Manito townships, east, south and west by
Allen's Grove, Mason City and Sherman townships. It
contains thirty-six full townships and is all prairie, except
Red Oak Grove. Teheran is the only village in the town-
ship. Ambrose Edwards was the first settler and made
an improvement in Red Oak Grove.
Francis Dorrell came to the state in 1835 and came from
Sangamon county in 1839. He made the second improve-
ment in the township. When he settled, there was not a
human habitation visible on the north, east or west.
Stretching away to the north, at sunset, the village of Dela-
van was sometimes visible twenty-five miles away. About
the same date William Briggs settled near where the village
of Teheran stands.
Peter Speice came from Ohio in early 1850. His father--
in-law, George Swaggert, followed. They both settled
two miles north of Leases Grove, but after a few years
moved to Tazewell county. A year or so after there was a
large influx of population.
In the fall of 1838, Henry Cease came from Pennsyl-
vania. He stopped a short time in Havana, but soon bought
a farm and engaged in farming. During the summer of
1851, Joseph and Abraham Cease, Jimerson Wandel, John
312 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
W. Pugh and Benedict Hadsell all came from the same
section of the country. The Ceases all had families, while
Wandel, Pugh and Hadsell were single men.
In December, 1851, Henry Cease, J. H. Wandel and
Abraham Cease went east to explore the country. On
reaching what is now Pennsylvania, they determined to
locate and began making farms. They entered one hundred
and sixty acres apiece and pre-empted the same amount.
In the summer of 1852, Abraham and Joseph Cease
each built a frame house and began to improve their land.
In April, John W. Pugh went back to Ohio, and prevailed
upon Wandel to accompany him. When Wandel got back,
he found a sale at his uncle's and father-in-law's. They
were preparing to move to Mason county, attracted by
the glowing accounts that Wandel had written about Mason
county. After a short sojourn among his native hills, in
company with James Wandel, his father; Isaac Hanney-
hill, a brother-in-law, and George Wandel, an uncle, and
their families, they turned their faces westward. They
made the journey by water and were seven weeks coming
from Pittsburg to Havana. In severing the ties that bound
them to their native land, they went forth to battle with
the difficulties and privations incident to pioneer life, with
their hopes and expectations bright as to the new homeo
they were about to make, but a great grief came over them.
Mrs. Hanneyhill, who had sickened on the way, died when
they reached Havana. Heart broken and discouraged, and
with five small children, Mr. Hanneyhill, with J. H. Wan
del, retraced their steps back to Pennsylvania for a time.
Wandel seemed to belong to the floating population. Dur-
ing his stay in Pennsylvania, he married Miss Sarah E.
Depugh.
In the fall of 1852, with his father-in-law, Aaron De-
pugh, he again came to Mason county. In the summer of
1853 ne built a house and broke forty acres of land. The
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 313
others mentioned settled in the eastern portions of the
county. Philip Cease came in 1852 and settled south of
Wandel. George Wandel purchased an improved farm
near where the village of Teheran now stands. This was
the farm owned and occupied by William Briggs. James
Wandel entered and improved a farm in Section 27. The
Depugh family settled across the line in Salt Creek town-
ship.
During the spring and summer of 1853, the follo\ying
settlers were added : George and Alexander Benscoter,
William Legg, Asa Greigory and Joe Statler. The Bens-
coters and Greigorys were from Pennsylvania, Statler from
Ohio, and Legg from Indiana. Legg entered the land
pre-empted by J. H. Wandel. The summer following he
sold out to George W. and Alex Benscoter. Asa Greigory
settled in the northwest corner of the township, remained
a few years and then sold out and returned east. Joseph
Statler settled in the south part, a short distance north of
the present village of Teheran, on land now owned by J.
McClurg and J. H. Matthews. Statler was a fine business
man and of strict integrity and his duties were well and
ably performed. D. V. Benscoter located east of Statlers.
Jack Conroy from Ohio made improvements in the sum-
mer of 1854, in the southeast corner of the School Section
where James Hurley now lives.
About the same time Daniel and James Riner and Dave
Cruise became citizens of the township. In 1856, J. Phink
from Pennsylvania made a farm in the south part of the
township and was soon followed by his father-in-law, Jacob
Benscoter. Many of the first settlers have gone to their
long homes, but many of their descendants remain and oc-
cupy the farms entered and improved by their fathers.
Of other citizens who moved into the township prior to
1860, we find the names of Andy Farror A. J. Gates Alex.
Blunt, Charles Hadsell, J. L. Ingersoll, T. L. Kendle, Joel
314 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
Severns, W. K. Terrill and John Van Horn. Gates was
from Tennessee and Blunt from Kentucky, Hadsell, Severns
and Van Horn from Pennsylvania, Ingersoll from Ohio,
Kendle and Terrill from New Jersey. Ingersoll settled in
the northwestern part of the township and the remainder in
the eastern and central part of the township; Terrill in the
southwestern part.
John W. Pugh, who was prominently identified with
the interest of the township, deserves more than a passing
notice. He is mentioned as coming to the county in 1850.
He did not locate in Pennsylvania township till 1864. Since
that time he has served in the capacity of supervisor for
eleven years. In 1874, he was chosen a member of the legis-
lature, and here his influence was felt.
The earliest settlers were not wholly exempt from the
inconveniences and difficulties which ever attend the pioneers
of a new country. The Iron Horse had not then entered
Mason City. Havana was the only point of shipment and
sale of the extra produce, and a large part of the year an
impassible swamp lay between them and it, and in order for
them to get their grain to market, it was sometimes neces-
sary to reload it five or six times. So accustomed were
the teams to miring that as soon as a halt w7as made they
would lie down for fear of finding the bottom some dis-
tance below the surface if they remained standing.
Much of the early settler's time was consumed in mar-
keting his produce, and crossing the swamp successfully
with a good load could only be accomplished in the winter.
Those coming in since the era of railroads know but little
by experience of the trials that the settler of 1849 and the
early "fifties" endured. Their milling was done at Mack-
inaw and later years at Simmond's and McHarry's on
Quiver. The nearest postoffice was at Havana, some fifteen
or eighteen miles. The first schoolhouse was built in Penn-
sylvania Lane in 1854. Miss Martha Ranclle was the first
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 315
teacher. The early ministers were Rev. Mowry, Randall
and Sloan. They belonged to the M. E. Church. The
early meetings were held in schoolhouses. After a few
years, through deaths and removals, the society became
so reduced in numbers that the field was abandoned till
1873, when the Presbyterians organized a society and
erected a church building. Rev. S. J. Bogle was the first
pastor and gave his services to the church the first year
free of charge. The early members of the church were
John Van Horn and \\ife and daughter, Mrs. Carem, John
W. Pugh and wife and Mrs. Mary Potoff. A few mem
bers of the Baptist Church resided in the vicinity, and the
sheep were led occasionally by the Rev. Hobbs, of Mason
City. Dr. J. B. Walker of Mason City dispensed the healing
art. The first death was that of Mrs. James Wandel, who
died in 1854. The wife of Joseph Cease died a few months
later. The first marriage was Jimerson Wandel and Miss
Sarah Depugh in the fall of 1852.
The first birth cannot be ascertained. Jimerson Wandel
was the first justice of the peace. Pennsylvania has always
been democratic. Taken as a whole, it is an average town-
ship and a good agricultural township.
Teheran is the only village in Pennsylvania township,
and is seven miles west of Mason City. It was laid out on
land belonging to Aleck Blunt. Soon after it was laid out.
A. J. Gates put up a building and opened up a grocery store.
D. L. Whitney was a merchant once and David Everett was
also a merchant. The postoffice was established in 1874,
with W. T. Rich as postmaster. The amount of grain
handled in Teheran exceeds 100,000 bushels. Teheran is
in the heart of a good agricultural county, and has its daily
mail and the conveniences of the larger towns, but Easton
on the west and Mason City on the east act as checks to its
growth.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
SHERMAN TOWNSHIP
HIS township was organized in 1866. It was
first named Jackson township, but the name of
General Sherman was then at its zenith. Sher-
man had, only a few years before, made his
memorable march to the sea and had endeared his name to
every American patriot. So at the meeting in 1867 the
name of Jackson was stricken out and the name of Sherman
substituted.
Sherman contains thirty-six sections which makes a
square congressional township. Only two small bodies of
timber are in the township. Crane Marsh and Bulls Eye.
A county ditch was the first effort to drain the land embraced
in the scope of the township.
The boundaries of Sherman are as follows : It was
south of Quiver and Forest City, west of Pennsylvania
north of Crane Creek and east of Havana township.
As an agricultural township it did not rank very high
till in later years. Artificial drainage has reclaimed a large
part of the land. Fully three-fourths of the territory be-
longed to a class known as swamp land.
The first improvement in what is now Sherman was made
by Thomas K. Faulkner. He was originally from New
York and had settled in Dearborn county in 1815. In
1830 Thomas, then a married man, moved to Madison
county, and settled on the bank of the White river. In
1838 he moved to Tazewell, now Mason county. He built
a log cabin and began to open up a farm. After a residence
of ten years he moved to Salt Creek where he died.
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 317
In the summer of 1839 Mahalon Hibbs and his sons,
William and Eli, together with his son-in-law, John Hamp-
ton, came from Pennsylvania and settled in the same sec-
tion. Mahalon Hibbs made an improvement and died in
the fall. William Hibbs entered land and improved it and,
after living on it for six years, traded it for land in Sanga-
mon county. John Hampton located west of his father-in-
law, and then moved to Shelby county.
Mrs. Catherine Dentler and family came from Pennsyl-
vania, and settled south of those named. She moved to
Nebraska and died there in 1878. Sol Dentler, a nephew,
came with the family and entered land but did not improve
it. In the fall of 1839 he traded his land to Henry Cease.
The citizens mentioned composed the settlers in this
locality, prior to 1844. West of these and towards Havana
seven or eight families settled along the borders of the
woods. There were, Coder, McReynolds, Faulkner, Eli
Fisk, Brown, Fester, and a few others. This made all the
families east of Havana. Nearly all of the land was un-
broken prairie, where roamed at pleasure vast herds of deer
and wolves. John R. Faulkner relates that in the spring of
1840, he, with two others, counted on Bull's Eye prairie
fifty-nine in one gang and forty-two in another, all in sight
at one time.
James H. Chase was next in order. He came to Mason
county in 1844 where he made improvements and lived tili
his death. Joseph Lehr settled in the northwest part of the
township. He bought two acres of land from William
Hibbs for a location. He made a claim and improved it,
and lived there till his death. Lehr was from Ohio. Among
the settlers in 1848, we find the names of Henry Cease, John
Blakely, William and John Alexander, and Charles Trotter.
Cease was from Pennsylvania, and a large number from the
same locality settled in Pennsylvania township. He pur-
chased the improvements of Thomas K. Faulkner and then
318 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
moved farther east on the Kellerman land. Blakely and the
Alexanders were from Ohio and settled farther east. Blake-
ly continued a citizen till his death. The Alexanders first
settled in Havana township but moved to Sherman. Wil-
liam located on the edge of Crane Creek timber, then went
to Missouri, and John sold out and returned to Ohio.
Charles Trotter was an Englishman and came from Massa-
chusetts. Peter Morganstein remained but a few years
and then moved to Beardstown, where he died. About
this time Mrs. Davenport and family, consisting of five sons,
Henry, Lewis, William, Joseph and Marshall, settled in the
southeastern part of the township near the present town of
Easton. Her husband, Marshall B. Davenport, came from
Kentucky in 1832 and died in Salt Creek township in 1840.
Passing down to 1850 we find Samuel Adkins, Granville
Cheney, Vincent Singleton and Alexander Haller. These
all settled on what is known as Bull's Eye prairie. Adkins
and Haller were from Tennessee, Cheney was from Ken-
tucky. Adkins settled in the northwest corner of Bull's
Eye and sold out to Henry Cease who, after living here for
several years, went to Kansas. Cheney moved to Dewritt
county, where he lost his wife by accident. Singleton
moved to Salt Creek. Haller moved to Havana. William
G. Stone was a citizen as late as 1850; he came from Ten-
nessee to Mason county. Amos Heater still lives in Sher-
man township. Spellman only lived a couple of weeks after
he built his house. H. Elderbush settled on the edge of
Crane Creek marsh. In about 1852 James M. Samuels,
a prominent citizen, settled where the village of Easton now
stands. The family of the Samuels were originally from
old Virginia and all have the Southern brogue in their talk.
In the spring of 1835, ms father, Andrew Samuels, came
to Illinois and settled in Morgan county.
When J. M. Samuels first settled in Sherman township,
there was no one living east of him in the township and,
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 319
with the exception of Mrs. Davenport there was no one on
the south, before reaching the settlers on Crane Creek. He
was the original owner of Easton. The Kislers and their
families came from Pennsylvania, and first stopped in Ha-
vana.
What Chicago is to the west so Havana was to the
early settlers of Mason county. It was the point to which
all their produce must be brought for sale, and was the
place where they obtained their dry goods and groceries.
Hogs were driven to Beardstown and there slaughtered and
sold to packers. My father used to go there through he
winter and run his cooper shop. It was thirty-five miles
from Salem, which he always made in a day on foot, as he
always walked. In regard to milling, meal was ground at
Mount's mill on Crane Creek but when flour was wanted
they had to go to Woorow's or Kinman's mill in Mackinaw
or to Wentworth mill on Otter Creek in Fulton county, but
they generally went to Mackinaw, as the price of the ferriage
across the Illinois was eighty-seven and one-half cents and
money was very scarce in those days and several days were
sometimes consumed in making the trip as they always
waited for their grist. In a later period when Simmond's
and McHarry's mills were built, it brought the mills almost
at their doors. The early settlers scarcely ever thought
that such a convenience would occur in their generation.
The mail matter was received at Havana and on public days
was carried around on Dearborn's hat. Martin 'Scott
erected the first blacksmith shop in 1844. This was across
the line in Havana township. Eli Hibbs built the first shop
in the township in 1848.
Mrs. Eliza Dentler was the first school teacher who
"taught the young idea how to shoot." The school was
kept at the house of her mother. The first schoolhouse was
supposed to be on the land of James H. Chase. Abe Miller-
son was the first teacher. The circuit rider came early and
Michael Shunk was perhaps the first. Rev. Moreland and
320 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
Hardin Wallace soon shied their hats in the ring. Most
of the early settlers remember Hardin Wallace, a small,
spare man full of wit and eccentricities who preached in
every schoolhouse in Mason county. He went to Califor-
nia in the "seventies" and died while there. The first doctor
was William Coder, who also ws a preacher and healed the
souls as well as the bodies of men. Doctor Allen was also
here at an early date. Elizabeth Hampton and Mahalon
Hibbs were among the first births in the township. The
first death to occur was that of the wife of Thomas K.
Faulkner, who died in 1839. She was buried on the farm
of Robert McReynolds. The first person buried in this
cemetery was Grandma Fesler in 1838. The first wedding
was either John McReynolds and Catherine Dentler or Al-
fred Houel and Eliza Faulkner, but which was first, no one
at present seems to know. The patriotism of Sherman was
very creditable and no draft was necessary to fill her quota
in the last unpleasantness. M. H. Lewis was the first super-
visor. Easton is half way between Havana and Mason
City. The town was surveyed by John R. Faulkner for
J. M. Samuels in 1872. Edward D. Terrill built the first
store building in November, 1872, and opened up with a
general stock of merchandise. Diebold F. Turner opened
up a saloon and then engaged afterward in general mer-
chandise. Henry Cooper built the first residence. It was
finally turned into a hotel and operated by Charles Dowell.
A drug store was built by David Carter, but soon developed
into a saloon. J. M. Samuels built the first blacksmith shop.
A fine schoolhouse was erected and a union church built.
Ed. Merrill was the first postmaster. C. W. Houghton was
the first doctor to locate. He took in as a partner D. L. T.
Magill. Easton was laid out as Shermanville but, as a
postoffice by that name was in Sangamon county, it had to
be changed and was named by O. C. Easton of Havana.
Situated as it is on one of the finest agricultural districts in
the county, it is one of the important towns in the county.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
MASON CITY TOWNSHIP
ASON CITY township is bounded on the north by
Allen's Grove and Pennsylvania township, on
the east by Logan county, on the south by Salt
Creek, on the west by Salt Creek township. It
is the best body of land in any township in Mason county,
being all tillable high prairie. It was surveyed in 1823;
at that time there was not a person living within its bounds,
and nothing was heard save the yell of the Indian or the
howl of the wolf from the time when the memory of man
runneth not to the contrary. Along the belt on Salt Creek
was the camping ground of the red man. Mason City
township was covered with a luxuriant growth of blue stem
grass, and the prairie fires every fall swept over its whole
territory, leaving a black dismal spectacle. No person
who never saw these prairie fires can imagine the grandeur
of the scene. Imagine a wall of fire fifty feet in height
and as wide as the eye can extend coming toward you at
the rate of twenty miles an hour; all the wild animals and
birds fleeing for life before it ; the heavens lighted up with
an unearthly glare and the roar of the flames drowning
out every noise. Sometimes the flames would jump a
hundred feet in advance, and set the grass on fire ahead.
These fires gained strength as they burned and a current
of air would give them a new impetus, and they never
stopped till they had burned out for want of something
21
322 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
to consume. We have seen these fires burn from Lease's
Grove to Quiver, a distance of fifteen miles.
Mason City was a great shipping point, but the Illinois
Central, running from Havana to Champaign, with Easton
and Teheran on the west and New Holland on the east, cut
off a big slice of her grain receipts, and Mason City is not
what it used to be, yet it is a nice clean town, and may well
be styled the Gem of the Prairie.
The first settlement in the township was made by Isaac
Engle in 1830 on the Donovan place, at the northeast side
of Swing's Grove. In the same year John Powell built a
round log house on the west side, now owned and occu-
pied by C. L. Stone. This was succeeded by a hewn log
house built by Austin Melton. Here Melton lived till 1849,
and kept a ferry across Salt Creek, and for him Melton's
Ford was named. He then moved to Mackinaw, then to
Walker's Grove, where he died in 1877. Melton's place
was taken by John Alkers, who built a frame house.
Isaac Engle, who settled on the Donovan place, sold to
Michael and Abraham Swing and moved to Fulton county.
The Swing brothers were both unmarried at the time, and
by a trade, Michael became the sole owner of the land which
up to 1840 had been held in partnership. Mr. Swing was
a surveyor and also taught school in addition to his other
business in 1851 and '52. He taught school at Big Grove,
riding six miles each way, and received for his service one
dollar per day. In the year of 1840 Ephraim Brooner built
a round log house on what is now the Cease and Hubly
place, about a quarter of a mile west of the old Beebe place,
now owned by John Appleman. Mr. Brooner died in 1841,
and his widow married Rezin Virgin, one of the pioneers
of Salt Creek township, as will appear farther on. In 1840
the tide of emigration set in and Robert Melton and D. S.
Swing, of Swing's Grove and Stiles, and Homer Peck, of
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 323
Prairie Creek, settled in the township that year. D. S.
Swing, since 1860, has been a resident of Mason City
and improved the land now occupied by C. L. Stone. A
beautiful cemetery in Swing's Grove was set apart by them
and has had a steady growth, till it now numbers its in-
habitants by the hundreds. Other grave yards were located
in the neighborhood, but after the Swing Cemetery was
established they were discontinued. Stiles and Homer Peck
made a settlement on Prairie Creek near where New Holland
now stands.
The dwelling houses in the early days, of which we will
give a description, were eighteen by twenty, made of round
logs, notched at the corners so as to make the logs fit as
closely as possible and give as much strength as possible.
Chimneys were constructed of split sticks and clay, which
were always at the west end of the house, so that the west
winds would be better resisted. These houses always had a
kitchen, sitting-room, parlor and bed-room, but all in one.
At meal time, it was all kitchen. On rainy days when all
the neighbors came there to relate their exploits, how many
deer and turkeys they had killed, it was the sitting-room.
On Sunday when the young men all dressed up in their
jeans, and the young ladies in their best tow dresses, it was
all parlor. At night is was all bed-room. The crevices be-
tween the logs afforded ample ventilation. An accident is
recorded where a family went off one Sunday and the cattle
came around the house, and with their long tongues licked
out the bed clothing and, in fact, everything out of the
house, so when the family returned they found everything
gone. The houses were covered with clapboards, held to
their places by rib poles underneath and weight poles on
top. The floors were made of puncheons four inches in
thickness and six feet along the sides, and they were hewn
so they fit nicely and kept the foot from going down between
the puncheons.
324 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
There has been a number of tragedies in Mason City. In
the fall of 1864, Frank M. Jones, who had come from
Virginia a few years before, and who was very outspoken
in his views, had incurred the hostility of some who were
of the opposite belief, and this soon ripened into a crisis.
Jones was at that time teaching school a short distance
from town. Learning that a man from Salt Creek, named
Moses Thompson, had been in town several days to settle
a grudge that had been sprung on election day, about a week
before, armed himself with a double barrel shot gun. In
the evening after school was dismissed, he proceeded to
town where he saw Thompson on the south side of a saloon,
which was kept in a building a short distance from the ele-
vator, and heard his threats against him. He then passed
through Swing's store and fired upon him, mortally wound-
ing him, so he died the next day. Jones then leisurely
walked away and was never captured or brought to trial. It
is reported that he went to Missouri, and was afterwards
himself shot and killed.
The next was the tragic death of Dr. Chamlin in the
spring of 1871, at the hands of Zoph Case. The fracas
grew out of a contest of title to a quarter section of land
adjoining town on the southeast. One night Case moved
his house on one forty acres and occupied it that same night,
claiming title from Tunison Case, which brought about an
ejectment suit. In plowing in the spring of 1871, Chamlin
ordered his men to plow across Case's yard in the forenoon.
This Case would not allow them to do. The matter was re-
ported Chamlin at noon, and when they went out to work
in the afternoon, he took a shot gun and bade his plowmen
to follow him, which they did. He had proceeded but a
short distance in advance of the teams toward Case's prem-
ises when he reached the disputed line. Case, who was
watching him from his door, took up his gun and fired
upon him, killing him instantly. Case surrendered and
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 325
after a continuous drag in the courts was finally cleared.
In the spring of 1837, Charles H.. Linticum, who was a
farmer near Prairie Creek, committed a deadly assault upon
Joseph Copperthwait, a farmer, they having met in town.
The tragedy occurred in J. D. Haws' harness shop. The
assault was made with a revolver, Linticum shooting three
times, the last shot taking effect in the side, glancing off
on a rib. Great excitement prevailed and lynching was
talked of, but the injured party proved to be not dangerously
wounded. Linticum engaged Colonel Ingersol and, after
dragging through several courts, the indictment was
quashed.
The land on which Mason City stands was entered in
1849 by William Maloney, who improved and settled on a
forty-acre tract adjoining the corporation line on the north-
west. He built a cabin thereon. He protected his crop from
stock by making a sod fence around it. These fences were
very common in pioneer days. They were made by a ditch
three feet deep and three feet wide at the top and one foot at
the bottom. The sod was carefully cut off in squares and
built up back from the ditch three feet high, and the dirt
from the ditch thrown back of the sod. This made a fence
that kept most of the cattle out of the crop. George Straut,
before the railroad was located, bought Maloney out, with a
view of locating a station there. Straut was a member of
the board of directors and had influence with the company.
The original plat of the town contained two hundred and
forty acres, three- fourths of a mile from north to south
and one-half mile from east to west. The survey was made
in September, 1857, by E. G. Hunt and J. M. Sweney.
There has been a number of additions made to the original
town from time to time, till Mason City now spreads over
a large territory. These additions were offered for sale
and found buyers. There was a public sale of lots in Sep-
tember, which continued for several days. There were a
326 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
large number of buyers, the number of people exceeding
one thousands persons at times. The people were surprised
at a town so far from any place. Notwithstanding, lots
sold for from seventy-five dollars to three hundred dollars,
according to location. The first building in the town was a
blacksmith shop, put up by David Dare in the east part of
town. The next was a frame building put up by Henry
Keefer for mercantile purposes. A. A. Cargill was ap-
pointed postmaster by James Buchanan. In the upper story
Miss Rhoda Allen taught the first public school. The first
newspaper was established by J. M. Haughy. The first
religious service was held by Rev. Holtsclaw. The second
store was that of C. Home. The Presbyterian Church was
organized in 1858, in the upper story of the building erected
by Joseph Elliott. The third store was that of Abram and
S. D. Swing. The first hotel was a small frame, built by
William Hibbard, on a lot donated by Mr. Straut. It was
dedicated with a dance. Up to 1860 all the merchandise,
all lumber and every other commodity was hauled from
Pekin, Havana and Forest City, which was a profitable
business for teamsters.
The first wedding of resident parties was Sheridan En
lass and Miss Emma Hibbard. The ceremony was per
formed by Selah Wheaton. The first child born in town
was Charles M. Keifer in December, 1857. There was a
great Fourth of July celebration held in Mason City in
1858. Every man, woman and child went to celebrate,
and it was a complete success. At an early hour the people
were all astir and long processions of teams came from
every direction, and by 10 a. m. an immense crowd had
gathered from all directions. A platform was erected and
R. A. Hurt read the Declaration of Independence and Hon.
William Walker, a prominent lawyer of Havana, delivered
an oration, after which all repaired to the tables, which were
loaded with the goodies with which the country abounded.
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 327
The Fourth of July witnessed the advent of the first locomo-
tive. This was hailed with great delight and wound up with
a free fight between the railroad hands and the Mason City
town bloods. The completion of the railroad set the whole
county wild, and all the mechanics had all they could do to
finish houses fast enough for the people to live in. This
was at the close of the war and money was a great deal
more plentiful then than now. All kinds of produce that
the farmers had to sell brought a good price. Improved and
unimproved lots commanded a high price, and for a few
years the growth of Mason City was the wonder and ad-
miration of surrounding towns. In the winter of 1868 and
'69 a City Charter was procured and the little town in the
prairie began to assume city airs. An election was ordered
and held to vote upon incorporating under the general In-
corporating Act, which was carried by a large majority.
CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Mason City has reason to be proud of her public schools
for here her children are well provided for. In 1860 a
frame school building was erected. It was finally decided
after a vote, to build a $20,000 schoolhouse in the west addi-
tion in 1877. Further room was needed and the beautiful
new brick was erected on the east side.
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
The Methodist Church has always been in the vanguard
of civilization. Before 1840, Havana was the central point
of Methodism. The preacher made his headquarters here
and radiated out over the sparsley settled country, always
going on horseback, with his saddle bags filled with some of
the church literature, not forgetting the Methodist Almanac
for which he always got ten cents apiece, but now the patent
medicine man gives out gratis.
328 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
The appointment, which the Mason City circuit formed,
was first established at the Palock schoolhouse. Next in
order conies the Baptists. It also had its origin at the
Palock schoolhouse, but was bodily transferred to Mason
City in 1859. Elder L. R. Hastings was the first resident
minister, having settled on an improved farm east of town
in 1851, and he organized the church in 1856.
The Presbyterian society was organized in 1857 by Rev.
Templeton and Andrews. John Andrews had charge till
1867, when S. J. Bogle assumed the pastoral charge. Serv-
ices were held in the schoolhouse until the building of the
frame church in 1871., It was decided to sell it and the
present fine brick church was completed and dedicated in
1872. The society has a membership of 200.
The Catholic Church was organized in 1872 and pur-
chased the frame church of the Presbyterians. They have
added to it, so it suits their purposes. Union Chapel was
a dilapidated dwelling in the southeast part of the town.
In the spring of 1876, Ewing Sharp and Dr. Taylor formed
a Mission Sunday school here for the special benefit of the
poor in the city. A wonderful interest was soon aroused
among those, who by their poverty considered themselves
shut out of the means of grace, where so many attend more
to display their new bonnets and silk than to display their
piety. The building was soon found to be too small and an
old billiard room was purchased and moved to a suitable
place, remodeled and made comfortable. The first flour
mill was built in 1868 by Hulshizer and Smith, the first
banker. A. A. Cargill was the first merchant. C. Hume,
another pioneer, was in business in 1858, but for several
years was out upon a farm. Dr. A. R. Cooper was the
first physician. Travis and Brown built the first elevator ;
Probst and Cutterell, the first drug store, and were suc-
ceeded by Patterson and Conover; they by J. S. Walker and
he in turn by Kincaid & Bradley. The first newspaper was
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 329
the Mason City News. The first issue was on July 4th,
1867, the day the C. & A. Railroad entered Mason City.
The Mason City Journal was established in the fall of
1871 by I. E. Knapp, he having bought out the Havana
Review. It was edited by Cap. Stover when Knapp sold
out to W. S. Walker. In 1874 Walker sold out to Wells
Corey and Dr. J. A. Walker.
In 1868 Campbell & Porter opened up a bank in their
double Mammoth store. Campbell & Porter did a large
business for several years. There was a war between them
and Sharp Brothers and competition ran so high that they
sold plow-shoes at one time for twenty-five cents, and it is
even said that they gave a man twenty-five cents to take a
pair. It is said that both firms were driven to the wall by
this foolish way of doing business, nor did their customers
ever thank them for selling their goods so cheap.
We want to pay a tribute to the memory of Labe Swing,
the pronounced enemy of the whiskey traffic in Mason City.
He took a decided stand against the saloon because it was
wrong and he never swerved from that stand. Though it
cost him loss of friends and loss of trade, yet he stood
firm and denounced it. He was only in the advance of the
age in which he lived, and his name will live in coming years
when the saloonkeeper will be forgotten.
Frank §mith and David Powell organized a bank. The
Mason county Soldier Monument stands in the center of the
city park. It was erected at the close of the war at the cost
of $5,000.00 and is a handsome tribute to the brave boys
who laid down their lives for their country. It has been
the unvarying custom for the people to decorate the monu-
ment on the 3Oth of May. The cemetery, located east of
the city, is a beautiful city of the dead. It is beautifully
laid out in squares and many fine monuments have been
erected by loving hands.
330
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
Mason City might be called a city of churches. The
tall spires that reach heavenward would seem to indicate
that they were spiritual. Mason City has two or three
churches to one saloon, while Havana has three saloons to
one church.
CHAPTED XXXV.
KILBOURNE TOWNSHIP
HEN the first white people came to Kilbourne
it was then a part of Sangamon county. A few
years later it was in Menard county and still
later it was in Mason. Mrs. Blakeley and Dr.
Field, among the oldest settlers, say that they lived in three
counties without moving their residence. The first resident
of Kilbourne township was Absalom Mount. He was from
that portion of Sangamon, now Menard, where he had built
a mill on Clary's Creek. He came here in 1831 and settled
in the southeast part of the present town of Kilbourne and
there built a mill on Crane Creek.
The next settlement was made by Gibson Garrett. He
is supposed to have come from Virginia in 1836. He has
long been dead.
Jesse Baker came in 1836 and located in Morgan county.
He came from Illinois in 1816.
John Close and Charles Sidwell came a year or so after
Garrett. Close was from the south, probably from Ken-
tucky, and was an old man. He died many years ago. His
descendants are still living in Crane Creek township. Sid-
well came from New York. He had one child, who married
and went to Texas.
The Fields and Blakeleys came in 1836. They are men-
tioned in the history of Bath township. Drury S. Field
entered a large amount of land. He built the third frame
332 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
house in the county. His son, Dr. A. E. Field, lived in
Kilbourne at its formation. James Blakeley came from New
Jersey and first settled in Sangamon county, seven miles
from Springfield and then crossed the river. He bought a
cabin, on which ground the village of Kilbourne now stands.
In this cabin he lived nine years and then moved to Havana
township, where he died. He married a daughter of Aaron
Scott.
Thomas Martin and Joel Garrett came in 1837. Martin
was from Kentucky.
Henry Norris came from Kentucky and pitched. his tent
in the north part of the township. He built the third cabin
in the vicinity.
Jacob Cross may be called an early settler, but belonged
to the floating population and did not remain long. He
borrowed a span of horses, but neglected to return them. He
was followed several hundred miles. The horses were re-
covered, but Cross was not located.
John Young was from Kentucky and came in 1838. He
had a large family. His sons were Anderson, John, William
and Mitchel. The elder Young died in 1847.
The Daniels came in 1837 and were from Virginia.
They consisted of G. W. Daniels and four sons.
The Craggs were early settlers, but lived in that portion
taken from Bath.
Rev. Elisha Stevens was one of the early preachers and
came from New York in 1839. He was a Methodist
preacher. He died in 1855.
John Pratt was from New York and located in 1838.
He died after living here forty years. David Pratt came
soon after. They had been living in Cass county.
Moses Ray and his son, Aaron, settled on the present
site of Kilbourne in the fall of 1838. James and Hiram
Ray, sons of Moses Ray, came two years later. Moses Ray,
the elder, died in December.
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 333
John Crockson and John Lamb were from Posey county,
Ind., the land of hoop poles and pumpkins. Crockson
moved to Missouri. Lamb was a Dutchman and had a
family of eleven children. They ranged in weight from
one hundred and sixty to two hundred pounds.
Dr. Mastic was an early settler and was from Ohio.
He was the first doctor in the township.
William McDaniels came in 1838 and died in 1854.
James Ross moved in 1840 from the south.
Abraham Williamson was from Kentucky. He came
from Morgan county. William Morgan also came from
Morgan county.
Michael Ott, another Pennsylvanian, settled in 1841 and
was an old man when he died.
The Tolley Brothers came from Kentucky in 1842.
These were the early settlers until 1845, when the pio-
neers began to pour in with great rapidity. Among the ar-
rivals were J. M. Hardin, John Ransom, Edward Gore,
Joseph Groves, John McLain, A. H. Neal, James Angelo
and Samuel Cannon, who made up the bone and sinew of the
town. Dr. O'Neal came into the town at an early day from
Bath. John B. Gam, one of the largest land holders, came
from Petersburg.
If any of the settlers of Bath or Crane Creek should find
some errors in their location in the different townships, they
must bear in mind that Kilbourne was made out of other
townships.
The first preacher was Moses Ray, a hardshell, who could
sing and preach at the same time. He always had the A. H.
at the same time. The Rev. M. Shunk, the Methodist
preacher, was a Dutchman, a short, thick, heavy person. His
descendants are still alive. Bro. Shunk preached in the
cabins of the pioneers. The Baptist Church is always strong
in any new county. He was the first school teacher. The
schoolhouse was built by contribution and also served for a
334 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
meeting house. An old gentleman by the name pf Lease
built a cabin, in which school was. taught. I. A. Hurd
taught in an early day. The first justice of the peace was
Albert Field ; the first constable was Aaron Ray. The inci-
dents in the early courts were sometimes ludicrous. The
first marriage was that of Jacob Clodfelter of Bath to Mary
Garrett in 1839. They were married by Squire Field. The
first death was old Becka, a negress. Old man Lease died
early. The first birth was John Pratt. The first post-
office was established in 1859 near John B. Gam's. It was
called Prairie and the mail was brought by the coach that
ran from Springfield to Havana. The first store was kept
by William Gore, who kept about a wheelbarrow of goods.
It was about three and one-half miles from the village of
Kilbourne.
Dr. Mastic was the first regular physician. The early
settlers went to mill at Jacksonville, Salem and Robinson.
Absalom Mounts built a small mill on Crane Creek in the
southeast part of the township and when the water ran dry
it was run by horse power. Mounts sold this mill to Sid-
well, who made considerable improvement in it. The burrs
were a foot in diameter and the lower one turned around in-
stead of the upper. When the burrs wanted dressing, Sid-
Avell would take them on his arm and dress than while walk-
ing along. When the mill was running at full speed, he
would fill up the hopper, go home and do work till noon
and then in the afternoon go to the mill and see how it was
getting along. Sidwell knew just how long it would take
to grind out a turn. A few years later a mill was built
at Petersburg and Sidwell's mill was closed down. In 1873
Kilbourne township was formed out of Bath and Crane
Creek townships. Bath was a large township and Crane
Creek was nearly as large, so the territory made three good
sized townships. Dr. Harvey O'Neal was the first super-
visor.
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 335
Kilbourne is divided on the political issues of the day.
First one party and then the other claims the election. Dur-
ing the late war it furnished its quota of troops in advance
of the call. Some of the officers credited to Bath belonged
to Kilbourne. Kilbourne township was named for Kilbourne
Village, and both for Edward Kilbourne, one of the prin-
cipal men engaged in building the road. The road was
completed and trains put on it in 1872. The building of the
road was opposed by the Bath interest, who saw in its com-
pletion a loss of trade to themselves. When the first settlers
came to this section, it abounded in deer, prairie chickens,
wolves, wild turkeys and all kinds of wild game. Dr. Field
says he has seen one hundred and fifty deer on the prairie
at one time and it was almost as uncommon for the people
to be without venison as bread. Prairie fires were of fre-
quent occurrence, though no loss of life has been reported,
but narrow escapes were of frequent occurrence. The fol-
lowing incident is reported : A couple of men went out to
hunt deer and wild honey. They had two wagons with
two horses each. On the prairie near Sangamon bottom,
the day being calm and but little breeze stirring, they thought
to set the grass on fire and perhaps scare up a deer. They
had a quantity of venison and five hundreds pounds of
honey in their wagons. They had scarcely set fire to the
grass when a breeze sprang up and they were forced to
cut their horses loose and flee for their lives. They suc-
ceeded in escaping with their horses, but their wagons, veni-
son and honey were burned. The sudden freeze in 1837
is well remembered, but no one in this locality, as far as can
be learned, froze to death. In other localities they were less
fortunate and deaths were recorded. A great hail storm
occurred in 1845, that exceeded anything that ever happened
in this locality. When it was over hail lay several inches
on the ground, many of them as large as a man's fist. This
336 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
is the hail storm that Dick Blunt so graphically described
(as big as saucers and four inches through). It made a
terrible havoc among stock; cattle and hogs were killed by
the hundreds, even the trees bore marks of the storm for
years afterward. The timid thought the last day had ar-
rived and fell on their knees and went to praying. No
human lives were destroyed, but much stock was killed. In
early days there was no money in the county, and nothing
to sell that would bring money; if they had any surplus
product, there was sometimes a chance to sell some to
movers. They went to Springfield to buy their clothing
and groceries when they had anything to buy with. Kil-
bourne has the reputation of being a quiet and orderly com-
munity. A desperado by the name of Hughs was assassina-
ted, but he threatened the lives of several citizens so the
public rested easier on account of his death. No effort was
made to find the perpetrators and no one felt disposed to
bring them to trial.
VILLAGE OF KILBOURNE.
Kilbourne was laid out in 1870 by John B. Gam. The
first store in the village was opened up by William Oakford.
A saloon was kept by Old Billy Martin before Oakford
kept store, but nothing but bad whiskey was sold. Calvin
Arterberry bought out Oakford, and Dr. Field opened up a
store. A postoffice was established in 1873, with Edward
Biglow as postmaster. Rev. Low was the early Methodist
preacher and Rev. Curry the Baptist preacher. Cuba was
another village in the township of Kilbourne but there are
but few who remember it. During the exciting war between
Bath and Havana for the county seat, while Bath was the
county seat, the Havana people succeeded in bringing the
matter up for a vote, well knowing that they had the neces-
sary votes for removal. The Bath people thought to throw
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
337
an impediment in the way, so they bought eighty acres of
land of Dr. Mastic, in Kilbourne township, and made a
paper town and called it Cuba, claiming that it was near the
center of the county. They had the land platted in lots with
a handsome public square, streets and alleys. They were not
as successful in this as was Asa Langford, when he traded
Watterford lots for the steamboat Navigator.
22
CHAPTER XXXVI.
CRANE CREEK TOWNSHIP
HE most notable feature of this township is that
there is not a village in the whole body. Kil-
bourne is the nearest town on the south, while
Easton is the nearst on the north, Havana on the
west and Mason City on the east. Bull's Eye Prairie is in
the center, Crane Creek on the eastern boundary runs south
the whole length of the township. Bull's Eye, before arti-
ficial drainage, was a wet prairie and the road across it was
nearly impassable during the wet season. There was no
settlement, only on the outskirts, that were bordered with
a scrubby Black Jack timber, and the land was so sandy
as to be unfit for cultivation. Crane Creek was settled in a
very early day. Most of the early settlers were from Men-
ard. The first settlement was made in Walker's Grove. In
1829, the year that Ross made a permanent settlement in
Havana, George Gannas and his brother made a squatter
claim on the east side of Walker's Grove. They did not
remain long and soon returned to the state from whence
they came. Very few of the early settlers were fitted for
pioneer life, leaving, as they did, older settled communities,
surrounded by the comforts of civilization, and coining to a
country where none of these were to be had. With theii
wives and children deprived of these advantages, no wonder
they weakened and found more congenial places to rear
their families. The year of 1830 an influx of emigrants
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 339
came into the township. These were James Price, Enoch
Estep and Spence Clary. Price is remembered for his In-
dian wife. She was a fine specimen of the Indian race. On
leaving Walker's Grove in a few years he went farther west
to the Indian Reservation. Here he lost his life while boat-
ing. Clary remained a citizen as long as he lived and was
buried on the farm of Henry Sears. He was in the war in
1812, and is spoken of as a hard working man. Estep
was from North Carolina and built his cabin near Revis
Springs. J. A. Revis, from Warren county, Kentucky,
•came in 1831. Revis Springs and Revis Lake derive their
names from him. His father, Charles Revis, had come in
an early day and had built a hotel at Vandalia. James
Revis died in 1838 and was buried on the bluffs of the San-
gamon. Time has obliterated the place, and the spot is not
now known. Their sons now fill their vacant places. In
1830 a number of additions were made to the settlements.
John Yardley and his two sons, James and John, came direct
from Kentucky, stopping a short time in Menard county.
Soon after they located on Crane Creek. Old man Yard-
ley, his son John and his son-in-law, Sol Norris, moved to
Texas. James Yardley still resides on the farm and has been
a good citizen. Josiah Cook next put in an appearance from
Green county, Kentucky. By his death many promises to
pay \vere canceled. Jams Sutton came to Walker's Grove
the year following. He sold to James Estep and moved to
Havana township. In the year of 1820 he came to Menard
county. He laid his claim within the limit of Petersburg.
James gave up his claim to his father and moved across the
Sangamon to Baker's Prairie, but finally came back and
improved the north part of his first claim and when it came
into the market entered it. He moved to different localities,
"but returned to Mason county where he died. Harvey Has-
kins was in the Grove in 1833. It was no trouble for him
to move as by walking and carrying his baby, and attended
34-Q HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
by his wife, who carried their effects in a sack, the feat of
moving was easily accomplished. In 1822 Henry Sears came
to Illinois. He lived in various localities, most of the time
in Menard and Sangamon. In 1834 he came to Walker's
Grove and purchased the improvements of James Estep.
He sold them to James Walker in 1837, and the following
spring moved to Crane Creek where he was a citizen of
Sangamon, Menard and Mason without ever changing his
residence. Uncle Henry Sears, as an eccentric man, was
always noted for his peculiarities; a man of undoubted in-
tegrity and honesty. His word was as good as his bond.
He was a member of the first pettit jury ever held in Mason
county. Abner Baxter, from Kentucky, settled in the Grove
soon after Sears. Abner had a reputation as a fiddler and
his services were always in request at the hoe-downs. He
was a member of the board of county commissioners in
1844. The year 1836 added Jesse Baker, a brother-in-law
of Sears, to the settlements. He was a great hunter and
perhaps killed more deer than any other man in Mason
county. Alfred Summers came from Kentucky and settled
on the farm now owned by Henry Sears. He died in
1837 and his death was one of the first to occur among the
early settlers. Passing back to 1835, we find Josiah Dobson,
John Close and his sons, George and Jack Close, and also
Turner Close. Jack Close finally moved to Havana.
James Walker came from Dearborn county, Indiana, and
bought a large tract of land in what is now called Walker's
Grove. He lived and raised a large family, who have been
largely identified with the interest and growth of the county.
He built the first frame house in the county.
Robert Cavin, from South Carolina, is thought to have
settled in the township in 1837. Charles and John Haynes
became citizens in 1838. At the close of 1839, Isaac Teters,
Hiram and George Walker, Huff Hines, Henry Norris and
Lemuel Pelham became citizens here. Teters came from St.
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 341
Clair county and moved to Texas. Hiram Walker also
moved to Texas. Henry Norris was from Kentucky and
was the brother of Solomon Norris, one of the first settlers.
Huff Hines was a fellow but a few remember. Lemuel
Pelham was a Buckeye and to use Henry Sear's expression
"shackeled around" and from the length of time he spent
in each locality, he must have been one hundred and fifty
years old. Asher Scott and his brother, Martin, came with
, him, but settled in what is now Sherman township. Around
the year 1840 Charles Veach, Elijah Riggin and Ensley
Hall were added to the population. Veach was from Dela-
van and lost his life by the caving in of a well. Ensley
Hall came from Tennessee to Menard, then to Mason and
again located in Menard.
Rev. John L. Turner, a Baptist preacher, made a settle-
jnent near James Hawks in 1840. He was a quiet man, a
zealous minister, worked six days in a week and then
preached more scriptural sermons than the preachers of the
present day do after spending the whole week on one or two
sermons. He also held offices in the gift of the people. He
preached from the time he came to the state till his death.
Samuel Conwell came from Indiana. Coriwell was an
oddity. The early settlers thought Conwell proud because
he did not dress in western style. Coon skin caps and buck-
skin pants were the fashion then and Con soon found him-
self unpopular and he went by the name of "that D — d
Yankee." Con first introduced Berkshire hogs and he was
sued several times, the charge was "swindling the people."
Conwell always came out victorious and Jesse Baker was led
to say, "we can't correct this Jerusalem Overtaker of any-
thing." Conwell was the first man to introduce improved
implements and fine hogs in the country, so he deserves men-
tion for that.
The year 1841-32 brought in Henry Seymour, James H.
and Joseph Norris, George Hall, Christian Trueman and
342 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
Harvey Stone. The Norrises were from Kentucky ; Joseph
moved to Texas. George Hall bought the Walker farm.
The Stones were from Ohio. Harvey, after a few years,
went back to Ohio and Christian moved to Iowa. Henry
Seymour was from Germany. Samuel Nutz, with his sons,
settled in 1844. Harvey Hathorn came in 1846. He was
from Kentucky and of Scotch descent. The same year a
number of the Tomlins moved in the northeast part of the
township. In 1850 Allen Robinson and James Hawks
moved in. Hawks settled in Walker's Grove. Elisha
Davenport came to what is now Mason county, but he did
not become a citizen of Crane Creek till 1849. Many
others came about this time, but whose names are omitted
because of want of space.
WALKER'S GROVE.
This grove, which is so often mentioned in connection
with Crane Creek township, and was the nucleus around
which settlements were made, was known as Price's Grove
prior to its purchase by James Walker in 1837. Since that
date it has been called Walker's Grove. The Grove em-
braces about four hundred acres of as fine a body of timber
as can be found anywhere; a fine growth of oaks, black
walnut, soft and sugar maple, hickory, butternut, mulberry,
sassafras, red bud, pawpaw, dogwood and many other
varieties. Many of the pioneers who built their cabins near
this spot have long since died.
The early settlers \vere content with their mail once a
week, while their successors now get their daily papers and
are acquainted with what transpired yesterday all over the
world. Among the prominent subjects and discussions that
enlivened their social gatherings was the relative merits of
the gourd seed or flint corn or the favorite qualities of the
best coon dog.
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 343
RELIGIOUS SERVICES.
In the early days the Groves were God's first temples
where the breeze came ladened with the perfume of a thou-
sand flowers. Rev. Thomas Plasters was the first preacher.
He came as early as 1834. He was a hardshell Baptist and
had the holy tone so common with that denomination and
as he warmed up with his discourse his gesticulation be-
came more violent. Still it was enjoyed by the pioneers
who had been deprived of the religious privileges. His
preaching was at the residences. Rev. John L. Turner, who
came in 1840, was an early minister. Rev. Abraham Bale
should be classed among the early settlers. Solomon Bale
came early. The Rev. Jacob Bale, father of Hardin Bale,
was also a preacher of the Baptist persuasion, though not
very deep in theology. Rev. Russ, a Methodist preacher,
often preached at the residences. Rev. William Coder,
Wallace and Moreland were among the earliest. A church
was built near the cemetery in Walker's Grove, but burned
down about the time it was completed. A postoffice was
established at the house of James Walker in 1839. It was on
the mail route from Springfield to Havana. James Walker
was the postmaster. In about eighteen months it was re-
moved to Menard county.
Jack Close, who occupied a prominent place among the
early merchants of Havana, had a small country store as
early as 1841. The first schoolhouse was built on land be-
longing to Henry Sears in 1836. It was patronized by a
large extent of country. William Lease was the first school-
master. James Buckner was the first M. D. to locate. He
stopped at the home of John Yardley and afterwards moved
to Petersburg. Dr. Morgan was in the township early, but
did not remain long. The milling in early days was done
on the Mackinaw and on the Sangamon. Later it was done
344 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
at Simon's and McHarry's on Quiver. Two children of
the family of Alexander Revis are supposed to have been
the first deaths. The first marriage in the township was John
Mounts and Jane Summers. No doubt John could sing with
the poet :
" My summers would last all the year."
Among the early justices of the peace were Ira Patterson,
Henry Norris and Robert Turner. Patterson and Norris
were justices while it was Menard county. Turner was the
first in Mason county. The first deed made to a tract of land
was made out to Henry Sears by Abraham Lincoln. Crane
Creek has always been deomocratic. It used to be said
that they always held the returns of an election back till
they found how many votes were needed and then at the last
hour would send in the number of democratic votes needed.
Money was very scarce and coon skins were a legal tender
in most all trades. James Estep purchased a pair of boots
of O. M. Ross of Havana and paid the entire amount in coon
skins. The ingenuity of the early settler was often taxed as
to means to get his whiskey. William Summers once made
a bet that he could gallop a quarter of a mile on his hands
and knees (horse fashion) in a given time. He won the bet
and got his quarter of old rye whiskey.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
SALT CREEK
HE original survey of this township was made in
1823, and was known as Town 2, Range 6,
West of the third Principal Meridian. It con-
tained thirty-six sections, except a tier of six sec-
tions on the north side which were fractional. Section thirty-
six in the southeast corner was divided by Salt Creek cutting
off about one-third of the section. The northern part of the
township is high rolling prairie, once full of ponds and
basins, but now drained and in a high state of cultivation.
The west and south parts are more broken and the south
part, including the Salt Creek bluffs is very much so. Big
Grove extends along these bluffs. Here was where the
pioneer settlers first made their primitive homes. Lease's
Grove in the northwest part of the township contains about
two hundred acres, which is still being cleared of the timber
for cultivation, and Big Grove is also being contracted.
The soil is very productive of all cereals and fruits suit-
able to the climate, but the crop that is king is corn. In its
earliest days wheat yielded a bountiful crop and was the first
crop raised on the land. Corn required but little cultivation
after being planted and the pioneer spent most of his time in
breaking prairie, dropping corn in the third furrow. Corn
planted in this way produced a large amount of fodder. The
early planted produced good corn, but the late planting was
generally caught by the frost and was not good feed and was
used for distilling purposes, hence the term of "Sod Corn
346 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
Whisky," which was applied to the inferior grades as an
expression of contempt.
The first entry of land was made in the township in 1829
by Leonard Alkers and was a tract of one hundred and
twenty acres in section thirty-four, contained in what is now
Knox farm, but was not improved until more than twenty
years later. In August, 1829, William Hagans entered one
hundred and twenty acres, which was afterwards sold to
Charles Montgomery. Here near the brick residence built
by Charles Montgomery, Hagans built a log cabin, and with
his family became a settler in what is now Eastern Mason
county.
In 1834 James Hagans entered a forty-acre tract and
built a cabin where George Short's residence was built. In
1837 John Hagans entered a forty-acre tract where James
Montgomery afterwards built a residence. A few years
later they all sold out to Ephraim Wilcox and moved West.
In 1830 a family by the name of Slinker squatted on a piece
of land in the grove northwest, but nothing is known as to
where they went. In 1833 a man by the name of Lease
settled in the northwest part of the township in a grove which
took his name, and it still retains the name. Samuel Blunt,
George Wilson and the Moslanders settled at Lease's Grove.
Wilson's son Orey committed suicide by hanging himself to
a limb of a tree, which was the first case of self-destruction
in the township.
In 1835 Isaac Engle entered a forty-acre tract after-
wards owned by William Anxier. Engle built a cabin.
This place was purchased by Edward Sikes in 1837. Sikes
had come from Ohio with several families and settled in the
grove. A few years later Sikes built a substantial frame
house and planted an orchard of the first grafted fruit in the
country.
In the old log house on this place the first school was
taught by one of the daughters of Sikes, now Mrs. S. D.
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 347
Swing of Mason City, who with her husband settled at
Swing's Grove.
In 1835 Michael Engle entered eighty acres, afterwards
known as the Hume Place, but nothing now remains except
where the well stood. A child of John Carter was drowned
in the well in the summer of 1849.
In 1837 Kinsey Virgin moved out from Ohio and bought
the place and built a hewn log house and soon settled down
in his new romantic home. He was a stock raiser and was
soon in good circumstances, but only one of his family lived
to reach the age of majority. Kinsey died in 1852 and his
wife two years later. The same year, 1837, George Virgin
settled a quarter of a mile west. George was of a domestic
nature and employed his time in making home pleasant, not
caring for stock nor acquiring all the land around him. He
was a large corpulent man and enjoyed life as he went along,
letting the future care for itself, though not by any means
shiftless or improvident. His wife, whom everybody called
Aunt Alley, was a woman of wonderful energy. No sacri-
fice of personal comfort was too great for her, and she was
always doing good to accommodate the people of the com-
munity, \vho had to go ^o Havana for their groceries. Mr.
Virgin, in a house eight by ten feet, kept a small stock of
sugar and coffee and a few of the necessaries of life for sale.
We recollect seeing him come to Havana and buy his stock
of goods of Walker and Hancock and convey them twenty-
four miles by wagon to his home. When the demand in-
creased, he moved fifty yards east of his house and added
a general assortment of goods. When this became too small,
he built a store house in the little town of Hiawatha.
Mr. Virgin's unfortunate death occurred in 1855. The
family had been using poison and kept it on the mantle with
other bottles. In the night, Mr. Virgin had the colic to
which he was subject, and got up and went to the mantle
to take some camphor, which he always kept in a certain
348 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
place. He did not take a light, and took a swallow of the
poison. Although the mistake was discovered at once and
medical aid summoned, he died from the effects. The
widow died of cholera at the old homestead in 1873. They
had no children.
About this time Rezin Virgin, a brother, entered and
improved a farm. In the course of a few years Rezin entered
a large amount of land on the north side of the grove, and
married the widow of Ephraim Brooner, one of the early
settlers of the township. He improved his land and settled
down in a log house on the south side of a large pond.
From here he moved to a house on his land, a mile farther,
where he died in 1872, and his widow died a few years
later. Rezin was a man of great energy, though weak phys-
ically all his life.
He was one of the most peculiar and eccentric men in the
whole country. Abraham Virgin, one of the four brothers,
settled in 1837 in the eastern part of the grove in a log cabin,
the style of the buildings in those days. He engaged in stock
raising and farming, and went through the privations of the
early times. In 1853 ne was afflicted with a malady that
made it necessary to send him to the insane asylum at Jack-
sonville. He was soon restored to his right mind, and lived
and directed his affairs until he died with the cholera which
swept through this section in 1873. His wife was also
taken with the dread disease, but lived until 1877. Aunt
Betsey was a great friend to the poor, the sick and afflicted.
A year or two later, Abner Baxter, John Young, Ira
Halstead and Ira Patterson settled in the southwrest part of
the township. Young died in 1848, and his widow in 1862.
Ira Halstead was a blacksmith and a Methodist preacher,
who removed to Wisconsin. Ira Patterson was a justice of
the peace and moved to Oregon, and was appointed territor-
ial governor. He lived in a hewn log house at the foot of
the bluff below the mouth of Salt Creek. On the place ad-
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 349
joining on the east lived Uncle Jackey and Aunt Hannah
Armstrong, who furnished a home for the immortal Lincoln
when he was a young man, and it was by the light of their
fire that Lincoln stored his mind with a fund of information,
in the reading of such books as he could obtain. The grati-
tude of Mr. Lincoln to this family continued as long as he
lived, and was manifested in various ways, even after he be-
came president.
In 1857 Duff Armstrong was indicted by the grand jury
for murder at a campmeeting held at Big Grove, and at the
trial, Lincoln without a fee, cleared Duff by the almanac, in
gratitude for what the Armstrong family had done for him
in earlier days. The almanac story has been published from
one end of this country to the other. The true story will be
found in another part of this book.
In 1841 John Swans settled on a forty-acre tract in Salt
Creek Bottom, from which Swan's Ford on the Creek south
of that place took its name.
John Auxier and his brother Eli came out and settled on
the north side of the grove. Eli died in 1848. John Auxier
was a large feeder of cattle and hogs, and he bought a large
tract of land on the east end of the grove, and built a house
where the M. E. church was built. He died in 1857.
John Y. Lane was one of the first settlers on the prairie
west of Mason City, and built a house composed of canvas
grass and poles. He lived there a year or so. He was then
an old man. He was a Tennessean, and had fought under
General Jackson in the war of 1812. When the Petersburg
and Tonka railroad was built, Mr. Lane built a large frame
house designed for a hotel.
John L. Chase lived in the southwest part of the township
and was appointed postmaster. The office. was then re-
moved from Walker's Grove and the mail was carried once
a week from Petersburg on horseback. Sometimes several
35° HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
weeks would elapse before any mail was received, on ac-
count of the high waters of Salt Creek. Mr. Chase died in
1856, when William Wamock, who with William Young
kept a country store, was appointed postmaster. He moved
to Hiawatha and then moved to Mason City.
A small cluster of buildings sprung up around Hia-
watha, among which was a flour mill and a saw mill and
blacksmith shop. Dr. Hall was a prominent physician.
They expected the Petersburg and Tonica railroad to strike
the town, but alas, their hopes were blasted. Mason City
sang the requiem of Hiawatha.
The Virgin school house was the voting place for the
precinct, and many were the drnken brawls at that place.
At this school house religious meetings were also held in
which great excitement was manifested and whiskey was
dispensed. Peter Cartright used to attend these meetings,
and here it was that Duff Armstrong was charged with the
murder of Medsear. Here it was that Dr. J. P. Walker,
Dr. A. R. Cooper and Dr. Deskins settled.
A violent hail storm devastated this country in 1850, and
chickens, pigs and sheep were swept from the face of the
earth, as with the besom of destruction. Dr. Knox was a
prominent resident of the township; also H. C. Burnham,
George Baxter, Charles Montgomery and many others.
Salt Creek township will occupy a prominent place in the
annals of Mason .county, in its past, present and future
history.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
HENRY ONSTOT
UR present subject was a Kentuckian by birth,
having been born in Gerrard county in 1805.
He moved to Sugar Grove in 1825 and can well
be called a "Sucker" by adoption. A large
number of settlers came to Sugar Grove and Salt Creek about
that time. Ben Davis lived on the creek and the place was
called Davis' Ferry. David Onstot settled on the Smoot
farm, where he built a mill and ground corn for the settlers.
He lived there until after the deep snow and then moved
to Taney county, Mo., because he said this country was
getting to thickly settled for him, although there were not
five houses within as many miles.
William Sampson was another brother-in-law, who lived
and died in the same community, and who had a family of
eight boys and two girls, who are now all dead but two
boys.
When Henry Onstot first settled in Sugar Grove, near
where Green view now stands, there was a band of Indians
camped on Salt Creek about four miles north, who often
came to the Grove, for milk or something to eat. Sometimes
when the men were off at work the Indians would become
saucy and the women finally became so frightened that they
would not stay at home alone. One day the men, to the
number of about twenty, with their maple stock rifles, went
down to the Creek and gave the Indians their orders and
they behaved themselves after that.
352 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
Henry Onstot moved to Old Salem in 1831 and was iden-
tified with that historic village until that town was moved
to Petersburg in 1840. The deep snow is what all the old
settlers date back to. It commenced snowing in December
and snowed until February, the snow averaging six feet deep.
A man could catch a deer any place as they would mire
down and get so poor that many of them perished from hun-
ger. Onstot kept a hotel and afterward run a cooper shop.
In the winter time he would go to Beardstown, which was
then a great pork market, and -oversee the shop there. It
was thirty-five miles distant but was only a good days walk
for Mr. Onstot. In 1840 he moved his house down to
Petersburg. It was only a log house but it was weather
boarded and looked like a frame house. I saw it a few
weeks ago and it looked as if it might be good for fifty years
more.
Onstot was a whig in politics and a Cumberland Presby-
terian in religion. In looking over some of his old papers a
few months ago I found a church letter which was given him
by Elihu Bone, of Rock Creek church, in October, 1842,
when a church was being organized in Petersburg. Think-
ing it might be prized as a relic I took it to the old Salem
Chautauqua and showed it to Rev. Archer, .pastor of the
Presbyterian church. "I want that," said Archer, "I will
have it framed and hung in my church." He did have it
framed and hung it in the Cumberland tent at the Chautau-
qua grounds, where hundreds of people read it. It was only
a little scrap of paper but it was the foundation of the Peters-
burg Presbyterian church.
Mr. Onstot moved to Mason county in 1846 and lived in
and around Havana for twenty-two years and was widely
known. His shop was always full of children and many of
the middle-aged people of Havana remember the cooper shop
and the kind old man who always had a pleasant word for
them. In 1868 Mother Onstot died and then he came and
made his home with me in Forest City. I had a good home
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 353
and with a noble wife and loving children we made the last
ten years of his life as comfortable as possible, and when the
end came we tenderly took his remains to Havana and laid
them beside those of his wife and two children, one son and
one daughter.
He had not an enemy in the world but made friends
wherever he went. The old settlers often speak of Henry
Onstot. In all questions that came before him he would ask,
is it right ? And when that point was settled no power could
move him from it. I recollect once an old Baptist deacon
wanted him to make some whiskey barrels but he would not
do it. He thought the whole liquor traffic a sin against God
and humanity and never by thought, word or deed sanc-
tioned it. He and Dr. Allen organized the first Sunday
School in Old Salem and in 1840 they organized one in
Petersburg. In 1847 ne ar>d Mrs. Hancock organized the
first one in Havana.
THE OLD HOME
We have sold the old home, where for thirty years we
have lived, and in a few days shall leave it forever. We are
not going but a few blocks away, but a feeling of sadness
comes over us while the precious memories of the score and
ten years we have lived in it is reproduced to our vivid im-
agination. When we moved in it the great rebellion had
been subdued. We were just in the prime of our manhood,
full of hope for the future, with a noble companion and
children to share our joys. Our home at first was small, but
additions from time to time made it commodious and pleas-
ant.
Our father came to spend his declining days with us, and
for a number of years was a central figure, and we all vied
with each other to make his last days pleasant, but the end
23
354 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
came, and our father whose home was in the west room was
not, "for God took him" in 1876. Kind friends bore him
gently away to the Havana cemetery, where by the side of
mother and Isaac, Mary Ann and William, he gently sleeps.
There was one vacant chair, one missing link. Another
year sped on and Ellen, the eldest, began to fade as the
flower, and one morning a convoy of angels escorted her
freed spirit to where "the flowers bloom forever and the
fields are eternally fair." It was hard to say, "thy will be
done." Next the faithful mother and wife came down to the
river's brink, and with a heroic Christian faith passed over
to the "shining shore."
"The old home ain't like it used to be," and side by side
in the beautiful cemetery of Pleasant Plains, they await the
resurrection morn.
"I sometimes dream their pleasant smiles still on me
sweetly falls, their tones of love I faintly hear, my name in
sadness call." No wonder the memories of the sad as well
as pleasant hours I spent in the old home will, till life's latest
breath be indelibly written on the tablet of my heart. These
large maples were planted by my hanti, the large oaks were
small trees. Since I made the old home, a new generation
has come upon the stage of action. Many who lived here
and who have enjoyed the hospitalities of the old home have
been called from labor to reward. We have strong attach-
ments for our old homes, every time we visit Petersburg, we
step in our early home and though strangers live thefe they
bid us welcome. We have not made many moves in our pil-
grimage. This will be the second. Our chickens have not
been trained to lie-on their backs and hold up their legs to be
tied every time a covered wagon comes along. Three moves
are as bad as a burnout, it is said. We shall try and not move
the third time. It will take some time to get used to the new
home. It is not so large and has not some of the conveni-
ences of the old home, but we will try to adapt ourselves to
the new home, and remember that while we have pleasant
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 355
homes that this is not our abiding place, that we seek a better
home, a "land that is fairer than day," a home in heaven,
after we have crossed life's tempestuous sea, where the grand
re-union with those gone before shall take place, in a home
eternal in the heavens.
SAND BURRS
There never was such a plague or misfortune ever
happened to the settlers of Mason county as the sand burr,
or caused so much annoyance to the farmers, and a little
history of how they came here might be interesting to some
of the people of this county. It was in the fall of 1830 while
O. M. Ross was living in his log cabin on the bank of the
Illinois river just above the ferry landing that a traveler with
two horses and a wagon drove up to his cabin one evening
and asked if he could get to camp near by for the night,
that he was moving from the state of Ohio and wanted lo
cross the river in the morning.
Ross showed him a camping place a few rods north of
the house. He drove there and unhitched his horses and
tied them to the back of the wagon and tpok three sheaves
of oats and fed them to his horses. The next morning he
crossed the river. The next spring there came up a patch of
grass about ten feet square that resembled young timothy
grass and when it grew twelve or fifteen inches high and got
ripe there appeared upon every spear of the grass a bunch
of burrs. They grew to about the size of a pea and were
as sharp as needles. Nothing was thought of the bunch of
grass at the time or it could all have been dug out and
destroyed in a short time, but the horses and cattle would
come and graze and lie there and the burrs would get in
their tails and in the wool of the sheep and was carried that
way and was finally scattered over the county. It was no
356
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
use, how poor and sandy the land was where the seed was
dropped, they would always grow and when they got in the
grain fields with the wheat and oats they were a terrible
annoyance to the farmers for the grain could not be bound
without the workmen wearing a thick pair of gloves.
When O. M. Ross first settled in Havana there was also
found growing on the side of the bluff about half way from
the hotel and the river a patch of prickly pears covering
about half an acre. They grew from one to two feet high
and were a great curiosity to many people and when a
steamer landed the passengers would go out to see them, but
like the sand burr they soon got scattered over the county.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
PEN PICTURE OF COL. JOHN E. NEIKIRK
VERY man is marked by something that distin-
guishes him from everybody else, 'even the
human voice. You may not have seen a per-
son for a quarter of a century, his features may
have changed, you may not recognize the person, yet his
voice does not change. He may come in the darkness of the
night, but you know him by his voice.
A man raised on the broad plains of Illinois has good
lungs, his vision is broad, his ideas are large.
A friend whose name heads our article has been a cen-
tral figure in this community since 1854. He was born
nearly three score years ago, across the Alleghanies in Mary-
land, in the dark ages, before any of the modern improve-
ments of the present age. He wore home spun clothes, and
hog and hominy were the chief diet. He acquired a com-
mon school education that laid the foundation for his future
greatness.
But as Maryland was a good state to be born in pro-
vided a man emigrated soon afterwards, his father loaded
up his family and his goods and took Greely's advice and
went west.
The center of the west to them was Seneca County, Ohio.
Here he grew to manhood, nothing very startling occurring.
It was never John's privilege to go through college. In
1854 his father and family started west again, a train of
eight wagons made the procession and John stopped near
358 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
Forest City, or where Forest City was located a few years
later, and began to grow up with the country.
The country was new and deer roamed the prairie like
sheep, and the howl of the wolf made the nights hideous.
In 1861, when treason's dark cloud began to arrive,
John's patriotic soul began to hum within him and when
a call was made for the country's defenders John responded.
We are coming Father Abraham,
Three hundred thousand strong.
In 1861 he enlisted in Capt. Fullerton's Company, and
for three years was a soldier good and true. He was in
several engagements and came home without a wound and
in good health, with an honorable discharge, and a good
record as a soldier.
The war being over, John returned to the peaceful pur-
suits of farm life, built a house and was soon in possession
of a wife. Miss Phoebe Reed was the fortunate one, and to
her John gives credit for his success in life. Improvements
have been made till he now has a comfortable and happy
home. Three sons and two daughters, with Aunt Phoebe,
as she is familiarly called, make up the family. Their
children are intelligent and excel in their studies. Orin and
Oscar, the eldest, are fine specimens, both physically and
morally, of Christian young men, who have a brieht future
before them. They have finished their education at Cham-
paign University. We do not know how much credit John
is entitled to for the success of his boys, but are certain he
offers no objection to their ambition.
Mr. Neikirk has held several offices and while not an
office seeker, has been constable, tax collector, road com-
missioner and school director. The latter office he held for
several years, and due credit is due him. He is a rabid
Republican in politics, in religion, he leans on the Metho.'ists
as all his family belongs to that church, and John will no
doubt try and fall through the pearly gates into the New
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 359
Jerusalem on a family ticket. On temperance, John might
be classed as a mug wamp. While temperate himself, he
would be inclined to take Paul's advice to Timothy: "A
little wine when your stomach is out of order." He has
considerable talent as a public speaker and has, at times,
when occasion required, soared to the loftiest heights. One
of these occasions comes to our mind. At the Neikirk re-
union in Ohio a few years ago, a cousin of John's, who
had a rather weak voice, had made a speech, which could
not be heard by all the crowd. John followed, and apol-
ogized for his cousin in the following language : "My
cousin has spent his life here among the hills, where they
have their three to five acres to farm and a big hill,
so his vision has been contracted, he doesn't have to speak
loud to make anyone hear him, and when the milk maid
goes out to pail the Jersey, she simply has to call in a low
voice, and the Jersey, not more than fifty yards away, in the
back of the pasture comes and is milked."
After a pause, John raised his voice to a high pitch and
continued : "It is not so in the broad prairies of Illinois,
where your humble speaker hails from, where we have a
thousand acres in a pasture, and so level that a rabbit could
not hide in it. Behold the milk maid as she cometh forth
to divest the Jersey. After the day's work is done, her eyes
scan the horizon, and away in the far distance, perchance
in the back of the 1,000 acre pasture, she spies some yellow
objects, not larger than a shepherd dog, and she has to
use all her lung power; co — ba — sa — co — ba — sa — . The
gentle bovine raises her head from the sweet clover and
after locating the direction of the sound; comes home and
fills the milk maid's bucket. My cousin is not to blame
for having a weak voice, growing up with these surround-
ings."
His manner of speaking is free and easy if he has no
opposition. He is not a debator. His encounter with Jim
Rowley last campaign showed that. We don't think John
360 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
was satisfied with the results of that debate himself. One
of his strong points is his singing of a poetic nature. When
he gets in company with Henry Knupple, their voices blend
in harmony in "Marching Through Georgia," or similar
strains. He can make "America" roll, and at a Fourth of
July celebration here four years ago, he tried his voice on
"Hail Columbia." He got dashed by the large crowd be-
fore him, and after singing the first verse, forgot the bal-
ance of the song.
His personal appearance is striking ; tall and well formed.
He stands like Saul among the prophets. By some he is
supposed to resemble Lincoln. ^We think not, but would
say Cullom.
He has many friends. The world is better for such
men as Col. John E. Neikirk.
REVERDY J. ONSTOT
Reverdy J. Onstot, who delights to call himself a "snow
bird" was born December 6, 1830 (the winter of the deep
snow), in New Salem, Illinois, made historical by being
the home of Abraham Lincoln from 1831 to 1837, who he
remembers very well and was a frequent visitor at the
grocery store kept by Lincoln & Berry.
Mr.. Onstot is the possessor of two iron well-bucket hoops
that was part of four, and the bale his father took for
seventy-five cents on Lincoln's board while he kept the
tavern in New Salem in 1833. Mr. Onstot also has the
plat of the town of Huron, which was surveyed and platted
by Lincoln at Miller's ferry, on the Sangamon river, for
Geo. Miller. Col. E. D. Baker, Simeon Francis, John
Houge, N. W. Edwards, David Prickett, Samuel Morris,
William Carpenter, Geshom Jayne and Chas. B. Francis,
of Springfield, who were partners of Geo. B. Miller. Noth-
ing ever came to the town as the canal up the Sangamon
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 361
river from Beardstown to Springfield was never built as
projected in 1833. His father moved to Petersburg from
Salem in '39, where R. J. often heard Lincoln, Douglas,
Baker, John J. Hardin, Murrey McConnell, David Logan,
Judge Robbins, T. L. Harris and many other noted men
speak. Mr. Onstot did not go as a soldier as he was
badly ruptured while assisting in raising a Lincoln pole in
Havana in 1860, where he then lived. He assisted in rais-
ing two companies and was the first route mail agent on the
P. P. & J. R. R., with headquarters at Pekin where he
helped originate and organize the Union League; a service
to his country second to none. It was the Union League
that cemented Republicans and War Democrats into the
Union party for the preservation of the Union. It was
through him and Postmaster Hart Montgomery that
Leagues were at once organized in Havana, Virginia, Jack-
sonville, Springfield, Bloomington and El Paso; he also as-
sisted in organizing at Peoria ; it then spread all over the
loyal Northern states and gave to the Union cause those
great victories at the polls in '63. Mr. Onstot was pros-
trated by overwork and laid in bed for two years. Upon
his recovery he came to Mason City in 1874 where he has
since lived, being engaged in the book and news trade. He
has never held an office since '63 and the one he then
held he resigned and gave up his position to a broken-
down soldier. He has never been an office seeker, though
he has been one of the hardest workers in the party and for
a long time one of the County Central Committee for
Mason City. If there is a man that deserves recognition for
party service it is he, for he is both honest and capable.
A HUSTLER
In looking over our field for a live, energetic, get up
and dust man to set for his picture, we only had to move
362 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
south across the iron bridge less than a mile, where we
found the subject of our sketch in a nice farm house, half
hidden among the shade trees.
J. Alonzo Barnes was born at Canton, October 8, 1852.
His father was a cooper by trade. When Lon was four
years old his father moved to Farmington, in the same
county, and lived there several years.
In 1859 the family moved to Kansas. The following
year was the great drouth and the people left in great num-
bers. Many came back east to visit their "wife's relations/'
Lon's father settled i&f a while in Peoria. He well recol-
lects seeing the first soldiers leave for the seat of war on
a steamboat, and his patriotic heart was stirred by the fife
and drum.
Not liking the city life we next find him on the raw
prairie in Hancock county, where he learned to farm. Here
he learned to love farming, a business he now follows.
And now comes a dark shadow, which was probably the
turning point of his life. His mother died, his father broke
up housekeeping and Lon went to live with his uncle, Alonzo
Barnes in Prairie City.
Our hustler never went to school after he was fourteen
years of age. His uncle tried to have him go but as he was
working for $20 per month he did not think he could afford
to go as he worked on his uncle's farm, which joined Prairie
City.
In 1871 after the great Chicago fire, at the age of nine-
teen, he got a job on the night police force in Chicago for
six months.
He can relate many thrilling scenes and episodes that
occurred during his sojourn in Chicago. His uncle, think-
ing it was a poor place for a young man to live, sent for
him to come to Prairie City, and learn the tinner's trade
and do the work for his hardware store. Young Barnes
gladly accepted the offer. His uncle took great interest in
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 363
his welfare, and was all to him that a father could have
been.
Lon had now arrived at the age of twenty-four and began
to think himself a man, and that he ought to do as his father
and grandfather had done — get himself a wife.
Being on a visit to some relatives in Mason county he
wooed and wed Miss Sarah E. Bowser ^n November, 1876,
but still worked in Prairie City for one year at his trade.
He then moved to Mason county, where he now lives,
on a farm of one hundred acres of fine land to which he
has added two hundred and twenty acres, having bought
the Walker farm which joins Forest City. His farm now
consists of three hundred and twenty acres and could not
be bought for less than $100 per acre. It is well divided
into small fields and is in a high state of cultivation. It is
well stocked; we suppose he has thirty head of horses of
all ages, and machinery enough to start an agricultural store.
He is always on the lookout for the best machines adapted
to farming and keeps them well housed and in good order.
Mr. Barnes is now in the prime of manhood and well
deserves the name of hustler. He does not say "go boys/'
but "come boys."
He is very public spirited and it always ready to do
more than his part. He takes an active part in School Dis-
trict No. i and also in the M. E. Church in Forest City,
though not a member takes a great interest in its welfare.
For a- number of years he has been chorister, and his place
is seldom vacant.
He is very decided in his opinions on all questions both
in church and state, and free to express an opinion. We
think he can visit the World's Fair and see more, and ask
more questions in the same length of time than any man in
the township. Mr. Barnes has a large heart and is ever
ready to assist the sick and needy and would take all his
teams out of the field to attend a funeral.
364
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
Mr. Barnes has had six children born in his home. Miss
Hattie, the eldest, is a young lady just blooming into woman-
hood, two boys and one girl have gone
"Where flowers forever bloom
And the fields are eternally fair."
He is well posted on all public affairs, both church and
state and ready to work for the moral improvement of the
community.
CHAPTER XL.
THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF HAVANA
MONG the early settlers in the town of Havana
was that of Asa Langford who came from the
southern part of Illinois and first settled in
Lewistown in the year 1829, and in 1830 be-
came a resident of Havana. He was a large fine looking
man, about six feet three inches in height, and would weigh
two hundred pounds. He was a man of great energy and
perseverance and commanded a great influence among his
fellow men. He was a Democrat and a strong supporter
of Andrew Jackson and was one of the leaders of his party.
After living at Havana about a year he purchased about one
half of the town of Waterford and moved to that place. He
was a keen, shrewd business -man and always ready for a
trade. Although he had never had the advantage of an educa-
tion there were but few men that could excel him in a busi-
ness capacity, for when he was married he could neither read
nor write his own name, but his wife was a lady of fair
education for those times, and she taught him to read and to
write his own name in a good legible style. He received
the appointment of postmaster of Waterford, and with his
wife's assistance he got along with it very well. In 1837
he built a flat boat at Waterford and loaded it with pork,
grain and produce of different kinds and ran it down to
New Orleans. He told the people before he left with his
flat boat that he expected to trade a part of his Waterford
366 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
town lots for a steamboat before he returned, but was
laughed at by his friends, for they 'believing that such a
thing as trading Waterford town lots for a steamboat would
be impossible, but Langfqrd had the faith that he could
accomplish almost anything that he undertook. So he had a
plat of the town of Waterford made out and a copy of the
records made out showing that he was the legal owner of
the property, all of which he took with him to New Orleans,
and after disposing of his cargo of produce and his flat boat
he and his flat boat crew wrent to a clothing store and all
fitted themselves out with a new suit of clothes, for Lang-
ford, when well dressed, was a noble looking man and a
fluent talker, and would make friends where many others
would fail. He and his men traveled up and down the
wharf at New Orleans and visited many steamboats and
made the acquaintance of the captains and told them that
his business was to purchase a small steamboat for use as a
packet for the Illinois river trade. He left his address and
the name of the hotel that he was stopping at and in a few
days a gentleman called to see him that owned a steamboat v
called the Navigator, which was for sale. It was a one
decked boat that had been running in the Arkansas river
in the cotton trade. It was a strong, well built boat and a
fast runner, and his price for it was four thousand dollars.
Mr. Langford examined the boat and was satisfied with the
price. Mr. Langford then told him that he did not have
the money to pay down for the boat, but that he had some
valuable town property that he would let him have that in
all probability would be better to him than the money.
He then showed him the town plat of the town of Water-
ford, describing to him that it was laid cmt on the bank of
Spoon river, at the head of steamboat navigation; that it
was in Fulton county, Illinois, the best county in the state,
and surrounded by a rich and fertile county, and would,
in all probability, in a few years become a large commer-
cial city, something like those of Peoria and Chicago.
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 367
The men that he took with him on the flat boat were
from Waterford and were on hand to testify to all that he
had told about the town of Waterford. So the owner of
the boat got a lawyer to examine Langford's title papers
and found that they were all correct and the trade was made.
Mr. Langford having marked the price of each lot on the
town plat, all the man that sold the boat had to do was to se-
lect enough of the lots to come to four thousand dollars and
the title papers were passed between them and the Navigator
was turned over to Langford and he started up the Mississip-
pi with her. When he got to St. Louis he sent word to his
friends that the Navigator would be at Havana on a cer-
tain day, and when she arrived there a large crowd had
gathered there to welcome him and a jolly good time they
had. When Mr. Langford traded his Waterford lots for
the steamboat he told the man that he traded with, that
Spoon river was navigable for steamboats as far up as
Waterford, although steamboats had never yet run up that
far, so to make his word good he determined to run the
Navigator up that far and so he did, but it was the first
attempt that was ever made to run a steamboat up that .far.
The river happened to be in a good stage of water at the
time and before the boat got to Waterford eight or ten
leaning trees that leaned over the river had to be cut down>
and much drift wood that had closed up a portion of
the channel of the river had to be cleared away, and it took
him two days to make the trip, but he did take her up and
tied up to a tree in Waterford, and great crowds of people
came to see the Navigator.
After Captain Langford had run the .boat between St.
Louis and Peoria for a number of months, he offered to
sell her for three thousands dollars, so C". W. Andrews,
N. J. Rockwell, L. W. Ross and H. L. Ross purchased her
at that price and C. W. Andrews was the captain, H. L.
Ross clerk, Asa Langford pilot, and Alexander Stewart
was mate. When Asa Langford purchased the Navigator
368 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
at New Orleans he found a young Irishman on board of
her who had been running on her as mate whose name was
Alexander Stewart. He took a liking to Langford and
wanted to continue on the boat in the capacity of mate,
which he did and brought him to Havana and he continued
to act as mate on the Navigator until she was sold to some
parties in Beardstown.
Mr. Alexander Stewart afterward became one of the
principal business men and property owners of Havana.
I will relate a little circumstance that took place while
we were running the steamboat Navigator. The boat had
made a trip from St. Louis to Peoria and on her return
down the river there came up a terrible storm and the
rain came down in torrents. It was in the night and the
night was so dark that an object could not be discerned
five rods ahead of the boat and as we were passing what
was then called Sharp's Landing, some sixteen miles below
Havana, Asa Langford was the pilot at the wheel and
Alexander Stewart was standing watch, we came into
sudden collision with another steamboat called the Cold-
water, which was coming up the river. The two boats came
together with a terrible crash, breaking in the guards and
the upper decks of the boats and knocking overboard the
large anchor of the Navigator. A number of passengers
were on board, with several ladies, and a terrible commo-
tion took place, but Langford and Stewart stood nobly
and bravely to their posts of duty and no one was hurt.
AN INDIAN BATTLE AT HAVANA
In 1826 a battle occurred at Havana at Ross' ferry. The
Indians were victorious in the fight. The true history of the
fight is as follows :
Samuel Mallory and his stepson had rented the ferry of
O. M. Ross. They were both settlers of Fulton county.
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 369
This was before the tavern was built. Mallory was the
father of Hiram Sander's wife and the grandfather of
Mrs. Judge H. L. Bryant. A few years later they settled
eight miles south of Canton in the direction of Lewistown.
After they had been at Havana a few weeks they received
by keel boat a barrel of whisky from St. Louis, as then they
were expected to keep liquor for the accommodation of the
traveling public. In fact the merchants in the country kept
whisky the same as any other kind of goods.
A party of Indians were traveling up the Illinois river
in canoes and camped a half mile above the ferry. They
came down to trade some furs for whisky, as they had
been in the habit of doing with the Scoville's, but Mallory
refused to let them have any whisky. As he was alone
they drew their tomahawks and compelled him to give them
whisky. Wm. Nichols, who had been working in the woods
came home and seeing the situation Mallory was in, slipped
away and got a canoe and went across the mouth of Spoon
river to where the keel boat was lying, but part of the boat's
crew had started for Lewistown. He soon overtook them
and told them the situation Mallory was in; so each one of
them cut a stout hickory cane and went back to rescue Mal-
lory. They found that some twenty-five Indians had Mal-
lory completely under their control. Some of them were
pretty drunk and were all having a jolly time except Mal-
lory. The white men ordered the Indians to leave but they
refused to go and then the fight commenced, the white men
using their hickory clubs on the heads of the Indians. But
the Indians were about four to one and they succeeded
in getting the clubs away from the white men. It was a
pretty hard fight for a half hour and the whites would
have probably whipped the Indians, but while they were in
the fight they saw some squaws coming from the canoes
with Indian spears and tomahawks for the use of the In-
dians; then the whites thought it was time to retreat and
get more help. As they were running to the ferry boat
L'4
370 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
they discovered Simon Kelsey and a couple of Indians hav-
ing a hard fight near the river, and in attempting to capture
the Indians one of them ran into the river and they took after
him with the boat, and when they would get near him he
would dive under the boat and come up a rod behind the
boat and would make for the shore. The white men would
then have to turn their boat and go after him again and
he would play the same game of dodging them. They kept
up this for a half an hour, and when they came upon him
they could see tfis head two feet under the water. One of
the men ran his arm down and caught him by the hair,
and as he drew his head over the side of the boat another
man drew his knife and cut the Indian's throat and left him
to sink in the river. The men returned to the keel boat
and William Nichols started to Lewistown for more men
to fight the Indians. He got there after dark and raised
the alarm, and next morning fifteen men on horseback
started for the battlefield. The company raised at Lewis-
town were each armed with guns. When they got to the
river at Havana they were joined by the crew of the keel
boat that had the fight with the Indians the day before,
with the exception of Kelsey, who had been badly used
up the day before and was not able to go with them.
The men all got on the ferry boat and took as many horses
as they could crowd on the boat and started across the river.
Some squaws a little way down the river saw the men
coming and ran and told the Indians that a great com-
pany of white men were coming with guns. The Indians
took alarm and started to run. Some went to their canoes
and started up the river ; some ran to the woods. The men
followed the Indians that ran to the woods until they got in
the swamp a few miles up the Quiver Lake and had to give
up the chase. The company came back to Havana to Mai-
lory's, where the fight had taken place the day before.
They found some pools of blood and a short distance two
newly-made graves, showing that the fight had been a hard
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 371
one and that two Indians had been killed with clubs, be-
sides the one whose throat had been cut on the ferry boat.
They also found that eight or ten gallons had been taken
from Mallory's whisky barrel and that his household goods
had not been touched. So ended the Indian fight at Ross'
ferry. After that time, Mallory and Nichols kept the ferry
for a year and never had any more trouble with the Indians.
O. M. Ross then moved to Havana and took charge of the
ferry himself. The Indian that had his throat cut floated
down the river and landed in some driftwood at the head
of an island three miles below Havana. There was at
that time a man by the name of John Hemford, who wras
long a resident of Bernadette. One Sunday John went
down to the island and brought up the skull and jawbone.
Harvey Ross decided that he could have lots of fun in
frightening the Indians who were superstitious. After
thoroughly cleaning the skull and jawbone he fastened it
on a stick about four feet long, the lower end to stick
in the ground. He put into it a lighted candle*. When the
scarecrow was set up on a dark night with the candle lighted
it was certainly the most horrible object mortal eyes ever
beheld. About a mile above Havana there were eighteen
or twenty wigwams of Indians. They were in the habit
of coming to Havana every week to do some trading and
would frequently stay until after dark before starting home.
Harvey knew the path they traveled and would have the
skull set up a few rods from their path. When they would
discover it they would run as fast as their legs would carry
them and frightened nearly to death. It made a great com-
motion among the Indians for awhile, but Harvey's father
found out what was going on and put a stop to Harvey's
fun. One day a steamboat landed at Havana and Harvey
went down and sold it to the poilot for $2. The outfit put it
on the bow of the boat at night to scare the natives along
the river. Soon after, O. M. Ross went to Havana. He
built three warehouses, one on the east side of the river
372 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
and two on the west side. One was north of Schoonovers''
and one on the south side. They were built of logs and
were used to store the produce of the farmers who lived
on both sides of the river. The upper part of the ware-
house on the Havana side of the river he finished off for
a store and opened up a stock of goods. The nearest store
on the west of him was at Lewistown, twelve miles west,
and New Salem, twenty-five miles on south. The Phelp's
had a trading fort nine miles, on Grand Island, below Ha-
vana. Ross had a large trade with the Indians, for they
were scattered all over the country, up and down the Illi-
nois river, and both sides of the Spoon river. These wig-
wams could be counted by the hundreds. About the mouth
of Spoon river was a great resort for them. Indian ponies,
hundreds of them, would be brought every fall to feed on
the grass that kept green all winter, and if there was a
deep snow the Indians would chop down small trees for
these ponies to browse on till the snow went off. Ross
would often sell them goods on credit for six months, but
would require a recommendation of some of their chiefs
which made them very punctual in paying their debts. The
Indians \vere very numerous in all this country, until 1832,
when the Blackhawk war broke out and they all went west.
CHAPTER XLI.
THE OLD HAVANA HOTEL
THINK a description of the first hotel in Ha-
vana would interest young and old. It stood
till 1850. I recollect of being there one Sun-
day evening with James Covington until 12
o'clock at night. Old man Brown was then keeping the
hotel. Brown had some girls which I presume was the
reason that we were there. The next morning the hotel
went up in flames. I don't know whether Covington and
myself were ever charged with setting it on fire or not, but
we were there a short time before it burned. Old settlers
will remember the old tavern.
I got possession of a copy of a book published by Harvey
L. Ross, who moved to Los Angeles, Cal., about twenty-five •
years ago, in which he gives a description of the early set-
tlement of Lewistown and Havana and the building of the
hotel and the trouble in getting the material on the ground.
It will interest the younger generation of today to know
something of the hardships the old pioneers had to endure
a.nd what fortitude they endured — what they undertook.
It was certainly a great undertaking to build such a house
at that time.
*
There was no pine lumber nearer than Cincinnati and
the few saw mills at that time had been erected on small
streams in Fulton county, therefore most of the lumber used
in the hotel was sawed by hand with a whip saw.
374 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
When the building was completed it was in all prob-
ability the largest building in Central Illinois and cost more
than any other building in the state.
The building was commenced late in 1831 and finished
in 1833. It combined hotel and store and was eighty feet
long and thirty feet wide, with upper and lower story
porches ten feet wide on each side of the house. The
main part of the hotel was four stories high and the store
part two ancLa half stories high. The first story was built
of stone twelve inches thick and also a floor of stone, the
balance of the building was wood.
There were two large chimney's with three fire places
opening into one and four in the other. All the lumber,
stone and lime used in building the house was brought from
Fulton county. The sills, posts and joists .and other large
timbers were cut and hewn in the woods.
The stone was taken out of a hill in Liverpool town-
ship and carried by boat down the river to Havana. The
lime wras burned in the same township by Zenos Hening-
ton and hauled in a truck wheeled \vagon to Havana by
two yoke of oxen. There was not a particle of iron used in
the construction of the wagon. The wheels and every part
were wholly of wood.
Mr. Henington had no need to call for the ferry boat
when he came to Havana for the ferryman could hear the
creaking of the wagon a half a mile away.
The timber used in building the hotel was white oak,
ash, black and white walnut. The weather-boarding and
shingles were split out of white oak timber and shaved to
a proper thickness with a drawing knife. The weather-
boarding was four feet long and the shingles twenty-eight
inches. The laths were split out in the woods and all the
doors, window sashes and mouldings were made by hand.
The weather-boarding and shingles were made near
Lewistown by Jonathan Cadwalader and his sons, Issac and
John. They were Quakers. The carpenter work was done
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 375
by Moses Lewis and Alex Freeman and Isaac and Jesse
Benson. The mason work was done by Ben Hartlan and
the painting by Andrew Mayfield.
Their names are mentioned because they were old set-
tlers and their descendants are still living. About twenty-
five years the big hotel and store was destroyed by fire
and there was no insurance. Walker and Hancock kept the
first store there and Hunt and McEndree were in the house
when it burned.
Ossian Ross kept the store and ran the hotel up to the
time of his death in 1837. His \vife and Lewis adminis-
tered on the estate. His stock of goods and personal prop-
erty was appraised at $9,000 and the sale amounted to
$10,000.
After the family moved back to Canton in 1840 Har-
vey L. Ross, having married, took charge of the hotel and
ferry and ran them for three years.
There was no court house at that time in the county and
so court was held in the bar room and some other rooms
were used for jury rooms. It was there that such men as
Abraham Lincoln, John J. Hardin, Ed. Baker, H. M. Weed,
W. C. Goudy and J. Boice attended the courts and took
part in pioneer law suits. At one time of court Gen. Hardin
had a narrow escape from death. He was very fond of
hunting and went out one morning to try his luck for deer.
At that time there were plenty along the Illinois river. He
did not have to travel far until he saw a deer and drew up
his gun and fired at it, but instead of killing the deer the
breech pin flew out of his gun and struck him in the face
making a terrible wound. It was several days before he
could be taken home and he carried the scar until his death.
Mr. Lincoln never appeared to care very much about
hunting and seldom engaged in that sport. His chief
amusement and delight was in telling stories and anecdotes.
In the role of story telling I never knew his equal. His
376 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
power of mimicry was very great. He could perfectly mimic
a Dutchman, Irishman or Negro.
In the evening after court had adjourned a great crowd
would gather around Lincoln in the bar room to listen to
Lincoln's stories and he seemed to enjoy to the utmost, the
peals of laughter that would fill the house. I have heard
men say that they had laughed at his stories until they had
almost shaken their ribs loose.
I heard ofj:ases where men have been suffering for years
with some bodily ailments and could get no relief but who
have gone a couple of evenings and listened to Lincoln and
laughed their ailments a\vay and became hale and hearty
men, giving Lincoln credit of being their healer.
It was during the time that my father was building the
Havana hotel that he had a two hundred acre farm fenced
and improved just east of Havana and which is now in the*
corporate limits of Havana.
The rails having been made on the banks of Spoon river
and boated down that river and across the Illinois.
In 1833 during the Blackhawk war when so many peo-
ple were leaving the military tract for fear of the Indians he
put his whole force at work and built a fort or block house
at Havana to be a 'refuge for the white settlers. The effect
was to stop the ruinous stampede of people from Fulton
• county.
Gen. L. F. Ross thinks there were three block houses
built instead of one; one on each side of the hotel and one
on the west side and north of Spoon river.
On the road to Lewistown Gen. Ross says that the people
of Fulton helped to build those houses. The mouth of Spoon
river was then directly opposite Havana and the ferry ran
to the upper side of Spoon river.
The large hotel stood on the south side of Market street
on the edge of a high bluff overlooking the river. The bluff
has been cut down and the site of the hotel is now vacant.
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 377
THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF MASON COUNTY
When the first settlement was made in what is known as
Mason county the settlers found that the Indians had pre-
ceded them and had erected their wigwams in many places
and were cultivating the lands in small patches, growing
corn, beans, potatoes, squashes and many other kinds of
vegetables. Their settlements were mostly along the Illinois
river, and on Quiver and Crane Creek. The squaws usually
cultivated the gardens, and the Indians followed hunting and
fishing. They raised a great many horses and that was the
only kind of stock they raised.
In the fall of the year they would gather large quantities
of hickory nuts and pecans which were very abundant in
that early day. These they would sell to the merchants of
the towns, or sometimes take them to St. Louis in their
canoes to sell. The Indians were inclined to be friendly when
kindly treated, unless they were intoxicated. Then some-
times they would be ugly and would claim that the country
still belonged to them, and that their ancestors first settled
the country, and that their head men had never sold it, and
that the Indians, whom the white people claimed they had
bought the land from, were not the chiefs nor the head men
of the nation, and had no right to sell it. And besides the
great white chief, the president, had never paid the Indians
for the land.
When the Blackhawk war broke out in 1832 the Patto-
\vatomie Indians that lived in that part of the country went
up north to the Rock river country and many of them joined
the Indians under Black Hawk and soon after that hostilities
broke out in that part of the country. A company of twenty
men that was out as scouts were surrounded by the Indians
and all killed. Immediately after the Indians made a raid
on a small settlement on Indian creek, near Rock river.
Three families by the name of Davis, Hill and Pettigrew,
were attacked in the day time and all massacred except two
3/8 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
young ladies whom they took prisoners. The Indians after-
wards related how the ladies squawked like geese. All the
victims were scalped. One man's head was cut off and stuck
on a pole beside the river.
The women and children were tied up to the joists of the
house by their feet, and the two young ladies that were taken
prisoners were tied upon horses and taken in great haste a
long way into the wilderness. Two of the young braves
claimed thern and intended to have them as their squaws
or wives, but were afterwards released on the receipt of two
thousand dollars. There were other circumstances that took
place in those times that caused great excitement and alarmed
the people of Mason county. One was called Stillman's de-
feat or Stillman's run. It was a fight Stillman had with the
Indians in the Rock creek river country northwest of Peoria
in which Stillman was defeated and lost thirteen of his men
killed and a number wounded. Most of them were residents
of Fulton county.
Another circumstance took place, Waterfield's defeat,
which occasioned a general stampede of the people living m
the north part of Fulton county. They believing that an at-
tack had been made by the Indians in the settlement west of
Canton on which rumor hundreds of people left their homes
and crossed the Illinois river at Havana. These circum-
stances caused the citizens of Havana and surrounding coun-
try much alarm. They believed that many of the Indians
that had lived in that vicinity and had gone to the Rock river
country had taken part in those massacres and as they knew
all the country around Havana so well that they would go
to Peoria and take possession of the ferry boats and what
crafts they could find and come down the Illinois river and
make an attack on the people and try to recover their old
home where they had lived so many years and where their
ancestors had been buried. The alarm was great and the
people determined that they would build a couple of forts
or block houses as they were called. These block houses
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 379
were built of logs. One was built on the bluff near the ferry
landing-, northwest of the Havana hotel. This block house
was 25x30 feet in size and two stories high and was built
so that the upper story projected over the lower story two
feet. Port holes were made in both stories for the use of
their muskets and rifles. The only floor was in the upper
story, and the entrance to the same was by a ladder which
was drawn in by night. The other block house was built
south of the hotel on a high knoll. This was twenty feet
square, two stories high, the upper story was covered with
plank sufficiently heavy to bear up the weight of a cannon
and commanded a range of a mile or so.
Up and down the river a great many people that had fled
from counties west of the river would stop at Havana and go
into these block houses during the night and there is no
doubt that a great many people, would have left the country
if those block houses had not been built.
The block house north of the hotel was still standing in
1846 when I first came to Havana. The people now living
in Havana have but little idea of the privation that the early
settler endured and the suspense and excitement they had to
undergo while in constant fear ol the Indians. Yet most of
the Indians were disposed to keep their treaties with the
whites and most of the trouble occurred from the overbear-
ing conduct of the "pale faces."
SPRING LAKE
The ancient village that stood on the bluffs of the Illinois
river on the dividing line between Mason and Tazewell coun-
ties, one so full of life and traffic, the emporium of trade,
has gone the way of all the earth like the ancient Babylon or
Salem, and exists only in the memory of the old inhabitants.
I first saw the village in 1852. There was a sawmill in the
bottoms on the stream that ran from the pike holes to the
380 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
river. There was a warehouse on the river kept by a man by
the name of Conant in which the grain was hauled when the
river was low and the roads were good. Perhaps 100,000
tons of corn and wheat were marketed fro"m Spring Lake.
It drained the grain from Egypt on the east, from Mackinaw
on the north, from Red Oak and Crane Lake on the south.
The wheat was hauled in sacks furnished by the grain mer-
chants and the corn was in gunny sacks. Grain from the
west, came from Tight Row and Devils Neck. More than
half of the grain was hauled with ox teams.
The roads were very sandy and fifty bushels was a great
load for two or three yoke of oxen and it took a day to make
a trip. Of course the teamster would hook a load of wood
as he returned home which was very plenty after the cyclones
had cut wide swaths through the Long Point lumber. A
warehouse had been started at Spring Lake by Pratt & Moore
under the hill and a Tobogan slide had been built from the
top of the hill down to it, of plank three feet wide with side-
boards. A gunny sack would be started down at an angle
of forty-five degrees. A boy would ride the sacks of corn
down the slide into the warehouse at railroad speed. It was
fun for the boy, but dangerous. As the slide had several
turns to make, and sometimes the boy and sack would jump
the track and land outside the warehouse. There were three
expert ox drivers, Lige Davis, Frank Pemberton and John
Maloney. Each had his peculiar ways of making an ox pull
a load and those who had to make a choice between the three
would give the preference to Lige who had a whip with a
lash ten feet long and a stock of corresponding length and a
good buckskin cracker. Lige would make the head steer
toe the mark or make the tongue steers hold the whole team
come to a halt, but with the war of the rebellion an ox was
worth more for beef than for work and they went out of
date. Frank Pemberton died in the fifties, John Maloney
moved away. Lige Davis served three years in the war of
the rebellion and is still alive and healthy. Having disposed
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 381
of the ox drivers we come down to the inhabitants of Du-
rang. Bob Jones and his brother Joe kept a trading house
when we first knew the place and lived in the town until
they started for Pike's Peak or bust and with them S. T.
Walker and Jack Rankin. They went with an ox team. S.
T. Walker can sometimes be coaxed to tell of some of the
incidents of the trip. They never saw the Peak as the further
they went the more people they met coming back. The
Jones' stayed west. S. T. Walker, who is now our efficient
postmaster came back. Mosteler and Brown succeeded Pratt
& Co., and for several years did a large business both in
grain and goods. They would go to St. Louis once a year
and buy large stocks of goods and sell them on long credit
and take the farmer's corn and wheat in payment. James
Brown, I think is dead. G. S. Mosteler lives in Pittsburg,
Kansas. Moseler served in the Mexican war and of course
is an old man. I saw him a few years ago. He is still in his
prime and bids fair to live many years yet. Andrew Pollard
flourished for several years as a merchant, Andy was a genial
man, who would sell a man's goods for six months then sue
him on the old bill, get a judgment then start a new account
and invite the man to dinner with him. While Andy kept
store in the upper story, the cellar was run on a different
basis. Gambling tables were run at full speed. There were
holes in the floor and the drinkers orgies could be heard at all
times. Many were the combats that transpired in the base-
ment. Andy's wife was Phoebe Hughton whom he married
in Menard. She was a fine woman though slow of speech.
Andy would prove everything by Phoebe. "Ain't that so
Phoebe?" he would say every few minutes. Pollard raised
a company and made a good record in the war of the rebel-
lion and afterward settled in Manito, where he died twenty
years ago. Bill Trent was another man who did business at
Spring Lake. He was a great trader, while he dealt in notes
which he traded for horses, cattle, sheep and hogs. He
would start out for a trading tour taking Fred West fall with
382 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
him and perhaps with a hundred notes from twenty to a
hundred dollars each, though he could not read a word. He
had some way he could pick out a note he wanted, but he
finally traded for a stock of goods of Tackenburg of Pekin.
Trent owned a farm near Forest City which was all sand,
Tackenburg was coming down to see it, but Trent got him
to wait till a big snow covered it all over and then sent word
for him to "come." Tackenburg thought it very nice rolling
land and the trade was made. He did not stay in the store
much. Every person in Spring Lake clerked for him. He
bought grain and called everybody Bud. He would meet
a person and say, "Bud, I am going down to St. Louis and
thus bring up lots of gold." Trent had two boys, Press and
Aleck, whom he determined to educate. So he fixed them
up with new suits and a gold watch and took them to Peoria.
The next day the boys came back to Spring Lake having
gone through college. The doctors were Dr. Camp, Dr. E.
Y. Nichols and J. W. Neal. Nichols kept the best of horses
and was very attentive to his patients. Dr. Neal married a
Rankin and left about the time of the war. % There was a
saloon built on the line between Tazewell and Mason so if
an officer came from Tazewell the keeper would step on the
Mason side and if from Mason would just walk on the other
side. The farmer living close was John Williams, who had
about twe'nty families to support, he was a horse trader and
every person who wanted to buy or sell anything had to go
and see John Williams. Pollard Anno bought out Williams
and built one of the finest houses in Mason county. Thos.
Landes lived near town. He had a rough exterior but a kind
heart and hated all put on politeness. One day he rode to
Pekin with Green Pemberton. A dude of a clerk came up
rubbing his hands and bowing and scraping said in French
style, "What can I do for you Mr. Landes?" "Go sit down
and mind your own business, when I want anything I will
ask for it," said Landes. The clerk wilted. James Adams
lived near by and was always in town. James Moore, the
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
3S3
father of Bob Moore, lived east of town on a farm he bought
of Slicky Bill Green. Among the earliest settlers of Spring
Lake were : Nellie Rankin, Joe Jones, Jack Jones, Bob, and
Jack Paine, Ash Duncan, Isaac M. Hamer, Kush Layton,
Andy Pollard, Wm. Combs, Jerry Miller, W. W. Stewart,
Wm. Trent, Geo. Maltby, Joe Gregory, Alex. Trent, Jason
Matheney, S. T. Walker and Jack Walker. Conant &
Jones were merchants up to 1853; Pratt & Moore to 1855 ;
Mosteler & Brown to 1857 ; Pollard & Walker to 1857 ; Ran-
dolph & Co. to 1858; Smith Mosher to 1857; Wm. Trent
and Rutenberg & Rankin, '56 to '68. Spring Lake is now a
desolate waste ; only a few cellars that Time has failed to fill
with drifting land marks. The places once so busy with
trade and traffic are now relegated to oblivion. The advent
of Egypt station, Manito and Forest City sealed the fate of
Spring Lake. So Spring Lake is only used as a fishing-
headquarters.
CHAPTER XLII.
j HAVANA FROM J845 TO I860
HE following is taken from the Manito Express
in 1892 and is taken from the gifted pen of
Miss Gertie White, who now lives at Murphys-
boro, Tenn.
T. G. ONSTOT.
It was one of the hot, sweltering days of July, about the
twentieth as near as I can remember, in the year of 1829 that
a baby boy came to live in a little cabin in Sugar Grove in
Menard county. It was not a stately mansion that first
sheltered that babe, nor a '76 rocker that sung him to sleep.
It was an old fashioned cradle of a planed box with a home
made rocker at each end that snugly held the sleeping child,
and the roof over head was covered with clapboards and
great hewn logs formed the walls.
At that time the red man's shrieks and yells disturbed the
peace within the cabin and the bleak winds swept from the
north. It \vas indeed a wild and wooley west but the pioneer
parents knew no fear for their hands were willing and their
hearts were light and many were the happy hours spent in
the humble dwelling.
The babe, nursed by a mother's protecting care, grew
both in statue and knowledge and like all children, in due
time received a name, which has since been shortened to 1 .
G.
When T. G. was old enough to appreciate the beauties
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 385
of life his father took him to a new home in Salem, two
miles above where Petersburg now stands.
His father was engaged in the cooper trade and also kept
the village hotel, a two story log house. At this place the
well known Abraham Lincoln, who boarded with T. G.'s
father, trotted the little tad on his knee. For the most part
of two years the noble Lincoln made his home with Mr.
Onstot. In 1840 T. G. removed with his father to Peters-
burg. During this time occurred the campaign of Tippe-
canoe. Here T. G. imbibed the true spirit of patriotism,,
one that has always remained, and the good old patriotic
songs whose echoes will resound from hills ancient as the
sun, in centuries to come, were sung clear and with enthusi-
asm from the lips of the lad.
While here T. G. spent his time in school and helping,
his father and doing with his might what his hands found
to do.
In 1846 he came to Mason county, near Havana, and
engaged in farming. In the twenty-second year of his life
occurred the happy event of his life. It was a beautiful day
and a beautiful scene. The sun never shone brighter, the
birds never warbled such a chorus, the flowers were never
so fragrant as on that day.
That day a cupid dart pierced his heart and he became a
victim to the fair and beautiful, Sarah L. Ellsworth, and
bestowing upon her the love outweighing all the jewels in
the universe, the love of a true and noble heart. He became
her husband.
They purchased a neat home in Pleasant Plains and for
many years enjoyed the life of a farmer to the utmost ex-
tent. All their efforts were crowned with success. Their
love was mutual and never grew less and with happy hearts
did they sing "We'll love each other better dear, when we
are old and gray."
In their prosperity they never forgot that there was an all
wise infinite one, who ruled the universe.
25
386 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
Mrs. Onstot was a faithful Christian at the time of her
marriage and by her loving influence soon brought her
companion to the foot of the cross and who all these years
has proven a faithful follower of Christ.
Their happy home was blest with several sweet children,
five laughing girls and two noisy boys.
But "there never was a day so sunny but a cloud appears
and never a life so happy but has its time of tears."
Mr. Onstot, like all mankind, was called to pass through
deep waters of affliction. Death visited his home and took
away little Charlie, Nellie and Sarah, the sweet patient
Ellen and his faithful and devoted wife.
Their bodies were laid away in the beautiful cemetery on
the farm then owned by Mr. Onstot. Naught of them re-
mains but the names that fadeth not away.
Three children remain, Mrs. Mary Bruning of Havana,
a loved and esteemed lady, Mrs. Lulu Jackson of Forest
City, who directs her little ones in the path of duty and vir-
tue, and Miss Susie, a refined young lady, making home
pleasant for her father.
Since 1866 Mr. Onstot has resided in Forest City. He
has a beautiful home surrounded by all the pleasures and
luxuries of life.
He is one of Forest City's political, religious and com-
mercial leaders and is engaged in the lumber, grain
and mercantile business. He has been tax collector and
justice of the peace for many years.
He is a leading member of the M. E. church. His Chris-
tian influence and example has always been for the good
and right and for directing wayward souls in the way of
righteousness.
He is a Methodist by name, yet liberal enough to think
that other coats, "if true to their colors," will pass through
the pearly gates.
Mr. Onstot is a jolly man, always in a good humor and
has a hearty shake of the hand for all.
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 387
Is strictly prohibition, never using tobacco in any form
or profane language. Although deprived of the advantages
now enjoyed by young Americans of the day, Mr. Onstot
may truthfully be called a talented gentleman. With an
abundance of good judgment together with the scant educa-
tion he received under great disadvantages, he is equal to all
emergencies.
And though his hair is now sprinkled with the frost of
time, may he yet live to see many hidden hopes bloom into
reality and may many years still be in store for him.
THE CHURCHES
The Baptist and Methodist churches were organized in
Havana about the same time, but we will notice the Baptist
first. In 1846 Mrs. Lydia Hancock, a very excellent woman,
opened her house for preaching and Sunday school. She
had moved here from Dearborn county, Indiana, and there
being no churches she held services in her dwelling. The
first preacher was John L. Turner, who lived in Crane Creek.
Mr. Turner farmed all week and preached somewhere with-
in a radius of fifteen or twenty miles on Sunday. Turner
had a fairly good education and preached the gospel because
of the love he had for it. He was very liberal in his views
and seldom preached a whole sermon on the mode of baptism.
He had not read Shakespeare nor the poets much, but with
the bible J. L. Turner was well acquainted from Genesis to
Revelations, hence his sermons fairly glittered with quota-
tions from the holy writ. Everybody liked him and he sel-
dom had a light attendance when he preached. He died on
Crane Creek, where he always lived. He was a man who
preached and earned his living beside. We wish there were
more John L. Turners.
388 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
There were three brothers that lived in Mason and Ful-
ton counties about this time named Bawlding. John was the
oldest and lived in Fulton county. He was a very eccentric
character. They had their share of common sense but not
much book learning. They had not the holy tone or whang
doodle style that many of the early Baptist preachers affected
but simply preached like other people.
John Bawlding had a hatred for dogs and could not bear
the sight of one in the house while he was preaching. One
Sunday while he was preaching in the old schoolhouse in
Havana, Mrs. George Robinson, who had a little rat dog
that followed her wherever she went, came into church and
of course the dog was with her. Mrs. Robinson took her
seat near the door and the dog crouched at her feet. Scarce-
ly anybody noticed it but John evidently saw the dog or
smelled it. Stopping short he said : "Brethren there is a
dog in the house and you know the price of a dog was not
allowed to be brought into the sanctuary in olden times and
I don't think the animal himself should be allowed to come
in. I would therefore thank you to take it out as this meet-
ing cannot proceed while the dog is in the house."
The men sat and looked at each other and the boys of
my size giggled and laughed but nobody put the dog out.
The suspense soon began to grow painful, when finally
Judge Rockwell, a very precise old gentleman, who was al-
ways well dressed, came to the rescue and went for the dog.
He thought he would just motion the dog out with his cane
but the dog was not built that way. He took it that i.e
Judge was about to make war on his mistress and so made a
charge on the Judge and tore a piece out of his pants leg.
The Judge retreated crestfallen while the congregation
laughed hilariously and Mrs. Robinson indignantly left the
church with her dog.
James Bawlding lived near the mounds at the mouth of
Quiver Lake. He farmed through the week and preached
on Sunday, and was not much of a success at either. He
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 389
was always trying- to find some way to make work easier.
We recollect one spring he used his sleigh to cross the
ground for corn. It made two rows at a time. The neigh-
bors were nearly ready to mob him as they said it was lazi-
ness which made him make his poor horse haul him back and
forth across the field. But Bawlding was making two rows
to their one.
Seba Bawlding lived in town and fished during the fish-
ing season and made some very large hauls. He moved to
California in an early day. Seba would preach on Sundays
whenever there was an opening for him and was about a^
good a preacher as either of his brothers, except that he mur-
dered the English language terribly and would give a
learned preacher fits. On one occasion he said Paul was not
a learned man. "Why," he said, "Paul said himself that he
was brought up at the foot of Gamel Hill and who ever
heard of a college at the foot of Gamel Hill?" At another
time he quoted from the Apostle "Jim," to shorten the name
we suppose. The Bawldings were all good honest men and
preached the gospel in its simplicity.
There was another Baptist preacher named Norton who
worked at the shoemaker's trade with Osborn. He belonged
to the hard shell variety and had the holy tone. He would
work himself up so bad that sometimes it would take him
several days to get over it. And yet no person who was ac-
quainted with him ever doubted his Christianity. He was
raised and educated in the whang doodle style.
John McDaniel preached occasionally in Havana about
the time the war broke out. The Rev. F. Ingmire also
preached some in Havana about the same time. He was an
intensely loyal man and prayed for the success of the union
arms. At one time he had an appointment in the country.
It was sacrament day and an old Baptist deacon had the ele-
ments prepared. He brought the bread and wine and set
them on the table. Ingmire opened up with a song and then
prayed and as usual asked the Lord to knock the Southern
39° HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
Confederacy into a cocked hat, to destroy slavery and let
the oppressed go free. This was more than the old deacon
could stand and he crawled on his hands and knees and got
his basket off the table. When Ingmire finished his prayer
the deacon was on his way home at a 2 140 gait. Ingmire
took in the situation and informed his congregation that
©wing to circumstances over which he had no control there
would be no Lord's supper that day. The occurrence was
published in the county papers at the time and widely copied
by the neighboring press.
ROBERT McREYNOLDS
must have come to Mason county in the early forties as
he was living east of Havana when we first came to the
country. He was a man of decided convictions. < In religion
a Methodist, not of patent-right kind but one of the John
Wesley kind. In politics he was a democrat of the Thomas
Jefferson kind. Like most of the early settlers, he did not
settle on the prairies, though thousands of acres lay vacant
at $1.25 an acre ready for the plow. He chose rather to
clear a farm out in the brush east of where Uncle Alex Hop-
ping lives.
He had a large family of three boys and six girls, and he
lived on this farm till his family grew to womanhood and
manhood. All respected for their moral worth, they were
quiet in their demeanor and attended to their own business.
Mr. McReynolds' house for many years was headquar-
ters for Methodism and many a circuit rider found here a
home, after a round of three weeks on his circuit.
Uncle Robert was a great friend of campmeetings in his
early days and always camped on the grounds. Campmeet-
ings were held because churches were scarce and school-
houses would not hold the people. They would commence
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 391
on Tuesday and hold over till the next Tuesday. The tents
would be built in a circular form around the auditorium
where the people would be seated. Peter Acres, Peter Cart-
right, William Rutledge and Rev. Shunck we recollect as
preachers in those days. Uncle Robert enjoyed a camp-
meeting and always took part in the exercises.
We have heard an anecdote that occurred at one of these
meetings that will hurt no one connected with it, which we
beg leave to relate : It was the custom for the men to sit on
one side and the ladies on the other side of the
grounds and a committee was appointed to see
that this was carried out. The meeting had got to be quite
warm and interesting and some of the men had gotten on the
women's side. Uncle Robert was near the altar and mo-
tioned to Aaron — who was one of the transgressors, to come
away while Aaron mistook his signals for him to come to the
altar. "Not tonight Mr. McReynolds." Another signal was
given and still Aaron mistook it for an invitation to come.
Mr. McReynolds now getting impatient went to him and
said. "I tell you, you must come." "Not tonight Mr. Mc-
Reynolds." About this time Aaron seeing that he must do
something left the crowd and did not go to the altar.
Mr. McReynolds stood in high esteem in the democratic
party and was elected to nearly all the offices in their gift.
Was county assessor, judge, justice of the peace and filled
well all these offices. He moved to Havana in the fifties and
was a highly respected citizen. His word was as good as
his bond. No stain of character ever rested on him. He
was an ideal Christian citizen, was ever ready to bear any
burden that would advance the cause of Christianity or better
the condition of his fellow man. Would that there were
more Robert McReynolds.
392 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
THE HOWELL FAMILY
The oldest was Charles who lived up near the Quiver
mills and at one time was a cabinet maker. My father bought
a set of chairs in 1849 °f mm that now are in good order
and are good enough for a parlor. He owned one hundred
and sixty acres of as good land west of Howelltown as there
was in the country. My brother R. J., broke forty acres of it
for him with a big ox team referred to in a former letter.
Charles Howell, while he made Quiver his home was of
a roving disposition. He made a number of trips west and
the last we heard of him he was down in Texas. He had
some brothers whom we do not remember except Bart and
Theodore. Bart lives in the corporate limits of Havana and
for fifty years has been a good quiet citizen. The peniten-
tiary would never have been built had all men been like Bart
Howell. He will never have any use for the new jail in
Havana. The lawyers will never get rich with the bills they
collect of him.
Theodore Howell was the youngest and moved to Mis-
souri some years ago. He was a pretty good fellow. We
often met him at corn huskings or wood choppings at night
at the social gatherings where Theodore was always ready to
do his part. We learned while at Havana Chautauqua from
Bart that he was not expected to live. He had just received
word from Missouri.
OTHER OLD SETTLERS
Mention might be made of Pulaski Scovel who lived at
Waterford and at whose mill all the lumber was made that
was used till the canal was finished, which was in 1850. The
families that lived in the town got their living from the saw-
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 393
mill. The whole country was heavily timbered, the bottoms
with burr oak, walnut and hickory, while in the uplands was
the finest of white oak. The mill at Waterford sawed some
of the finest oak lumber that was ever marked, and Pulaski
Scovel was the man that sawed it. Scovel owned a fine
farm east of Havana where Rube Henninger now lives ; but
in after years moved to Leases Grove, where he lived and
died fifteen years ago, an old but much respected man. He
delivered his lumber at Havana with ox teams. George
Moranville was one of his drivers and could make an ox do
anything he wanted.
The day of oxen has passed away and a new era has
dawned. Gore Palmer said at Old Salem that the horse race
and shooting match had to go as the Chautauqua had taken
its place.
A circular sawmill at Havana in 1854, run by the Webbs,
worked up the elm and cottonwood. I recollect getting a
couple of thousand feet of it that shrunk four inches end-
ways and that twisted around like a gin barrel.
Yet the people were happy in those days, their wants
were about in keeping with their income and there was more
friendly feeling among the people. A man was measured by
what he was worth, mentally and morally. Now we have
so many pumpkin fed aristocrats that a modest man is kept
in the back ground.
As before mentioned we drove an ox team at Havana
for years. Most of our hauling was from the bluffs above
Waterford in Fulton county, where many good people lived
and some that were not so good. There were the Mileses,
the Warners, the Arnots and the Pottses, all good honest
people. We often drove up there and stayed over night and
the neighbors would come in to hear the news from town
and to get us to do their figuring for them. Most of their
figuring was as to the number of acres or rods they had
grubbed for their neighbors. The land would be in all kinds
of shapes and sizes. Sometimes they would want to know
394 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
the amount that their rails would come to. There were no
schoolhouses in the neighborhood at that time. But finally
they agreed to build a schoolhouse and it was located on
Tom Arnot's land. The people turned out and hewed the
logs and built the house. Then the question arose as to who
should teach the school. Tom Arnot thought as the build-
ing was on his land he could teach the cheapest because he
could board at home. Mrs. Potts objected. Her daughter,
Hulda Ann had better "larnin." "Now," said she, "Tom
Arnot has got no book larnin." He says there is only two
rules in grammar ; one is to write the English language cor-
rectly and the other is to write it properly. "Now," said
she, " I know three more than that myself. There is etty-
mology, sintax and prosidy and I don't know how many
more." But Tom got the school.
There were many outlaws living in the bottoms and on
the bluffs above and below Waterford who would steal, rob
hen roosts and drive off cattle and hogs. They would hide
from the officers during the day time and make their escape
at night. Dave Waggoner, who was sheriff for twenty-five
years, would take Tow Ellsworth, who now lives at Forest
City, go out and lay for the outlaws at night and capture
their men before daylight the next morning. Mr. Ellsworth
can relate many thrilling experiences he had with Waggoner.
CHAPTER XLIII.
DR. CHARLES NEWTON
NE OF the notable characters that settled in
Lewistown was Dr. Chas. Newton familiarly
called Dr. Newt. He was an eastern man and
was well educated and was considered a very
good and skillful doctor. He was the only practicing physi-
cian in the county for about two years. He kept no office but
made his home with O. M. Ross. He would occasionally
take a drinking spree that would last a day or two but aside
from this was as perfect a gentleman as any person could
wish to have in their house.
He was a good deal attached to Ross and often said that
there was no place that seemed so much like as Ross/
A year after Dr. Newton came down to live with Ross'*
he was the first doctor in Lewistown and the first in Havana
while living at Ross.' In Havana Harvey's mother started
him out to hunt a girl to do the house work. He crossed the
river and struck off into south Fulton and every house he
struck he inquired for girls and finally he was directed to an
old gentleman who lived down in the edge of Schuyler
county by the name of Londerbach \vho was said to have
four girls. He found the place and told his business and one
of the girls agreed to go. It was a long trip and they did not
arrive home till after dark. The doctor had gone to bed but
called Harvey to his room and wanted to know what kind
of a girl he had brought home. He was told that she was a
396 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
splendid looking girl. Do you think she would make me a
good wife asked he? Harvey told him that he thought she
would make any man a good wife. So the doctor courted
her and in three months they were married.
Havana was at that time in Tazewell county and Tre-
mont was the county seat fifty miles away, so the doctor got
his license at Lewistown and employed Esq. J. P. Boice to
come down and marry them, as the marriage had to be
performed in the county where the license was procured.
A crowd of twenty-five or thirty with Esq. Boice and the
bride and groom moved out in the channel of the Illinois
river in a boat until they were past the middle of the river
so as to be in Fulton county and there was a young harness
maker of Havana who had been paying attention to Miss
Londerback and in fact was very much smitten with her for
she was handsome and attractive. When Esq. Boice was re-
peating the marriage ceremony and came to the place that if
any persons had any objection why said parties should not be
bound in the holy bonds of matrimony to let it be known or
ever afterward hold their peace, young Cook rose up and
said he objected. The squire asked him what his objections
were?
He replied that he wanted the girl himself. Esq. Boice
told him that he did not consider his objection legal and went
and finished the ceremony. The ferry boat then rowed back
to town where a wedding supper was given by the host and
hostess and the table was spread with the best the country
could afford.
The Indians, at a certain stage of the moon each fall, held
a great religious festival on the island just above Havana.
It was then heavily timbered and a picturesque spot. The
Indians would congregate there by the hundreds, and their
religious rites and ceremonies would last four days. They
had an abundance of good things to eat and spent their time
in singing and dancing.
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 397
One of their ceremonies was to burn a dog to death.
They would select a small white dog and make his feet fast
with four wooden pins, which they would drive in the ground
and then pile wood and burn over him until he was covered
four or five feet deep. They would set fire to the pile and
then gather in a ring around it. When the dog commenced
to burn he would set up the most terrific and awful howling
that was ever heard. His cries would ring through the
woods for half a mile. When the dog commenced howling
the Indians would set up some doleful, dismal cries and keep
it up as long as the dog kept howling.
Then followed a war dance that would end the festival.
Leonard Ross was present at one time when they made a sac-
rifice of a little dog. He was only eight years old but when
the dog made such a yelping, he wanted to clean out the
whole Indian tribe.
The mounds above and below Havana show that it was
a great resort for the dusky warriors and whether the
mounds are the work of their hands or not, they were used
as burial places for their tribes.
THE OLD AND THE NEW
This is an age of progress. If we should live a thousand
years it would always be a pleasing thought that we did not
live back of the eighteenth century. All of the great in-
ventions have been ushered in within the recollection of our
fathers and grandfathers. The boy of fifteen now considers
his father an old crank, and knows more than his grandfather
did at fifty. While some of the new changes may be unim-
portant, some may be like the crawfish advance backwards.
Let us compare notes awhile.
The time was when the preacher read his hymn in a loud
398 HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
impressive voice so that his hearers had the sentiment of the
song in their hearts, and then would commence at the first
verse and read two lines and the whole congregation would
join in and sing, and they had time to get their breath while
the hymn was lined.
Now the preacher announces the page and calls the verses
stanzas and sits down to rest while the choir mechanically
grinds out the grist, and should some good old brother or
sister be moved by the spirit to strike up "Come Thou
Fount" or "Children of the Heavenly King" or "On Jordons
Stormy Banks," without the aid of the music box a ripple of
merriment would run through the house and the choir would
TDC amazed.
Time was when the gallant youth could march along in
majestic dignity with some little dimpled hand clasped in his
awkard arm and who could sing "Your a strong Engined
Boat ; your speed isn't slow ; So fair one be kind here is a
Flat you must Tow."
Time was when people were acquainted with their neigh-
bors who lived in a circle of five miles, and with the whole
family would make an all day's visit, and when the wife
would exhibit her quilt patches and could tell where every
piece come from. "This is some of grandmother's dress, this
is some my sister from Ohio sent me," and then before the
guests started home \vould get the seed box and divide and
-could tell by the string what was in each package.
The canned fruit dispensator had not been ushered in and
the fruit was -dll dried and apple butter was the standard with
most of families. "Soft soap," when the moon was right,
took the place of "Lenox" and "Ivory."
There was not so much "Etty Cat." You did not have
to eat with your fork or drink coffee with a spoon. Instead
-of style you had something to eat and your own way of eat-
ing it.
Perhaps the new ways are the best, yet us old fellows al-
Avays have a hankering after the old. Yet Adam never saw
HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY 399
a World's Fair. Noah never saw a steamboat or railway.
David never heard a brass band. Peter never telephoned.
George Washington never rode on a street car. Abraham
Lincoln never saw a bicycle. Our grandmother made her
music on a spinning wheel. Her granddaughter plays on a
"piany forte," and don't know how to darn a hole in the heel
of her stocking.
RIVERSIDE PARK
In 1845, Just ^^7 years ago, when a lad of fifteen, we
first set our foot on Riverside soil at the south end near the
mound. A German by the name of John Shulte had erected
a warehouse there and kept a small store in the upper story.
He soon had the German trade as far east as Long Point.
We recollect seeing the Himmers and Wessling's and
Bishop's hauling their grain there, and it is believed that
about as much grain was marketed there as at Havana.
The grain all being sacked up, a steamboat would land
along side of the house and for several hours load out of the
warehouse.
The untimely death of John Shulte was caused by his
going down in his wrell to clean it out. The rope broke, and
the bucket struck him on the head, killing him instantly.
Mrs. Schulte continued the business for a number of
years and was married again to John Korhman, but died
back of 1850. She was of strong mind and could hold her
own with any kind of a customer.
We recollect one day when a boat was loading a captain
was filling his pockets out of an egg basket, when Mrs.
Schulte with a board gave his coat a whack and broke all
his eggs.
4oo HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY
The mound at that day contained many Indian relics and
was no doubt built by the red men as were other mounds
above Havana.
Steam boating was then the only mode of conveyance
and the old single engined boats could be heard for five miles
and as we lived only half a mile back we had time to get
there and see the boats pass. Among the first-class boats
were the Ocean Wave, Prairie State, John J. Hardin, Die
Vernon and Connecticut.
In 1848 the first boat with a steam whistle came up and
its unearthly scream alarmed the whole country for miles
around. Our first impression was that the "biler had busted."
Where the grounds are located we have killed dozens of
squirrels and caught catfish in front of the park that weighed
from ten to twenty pounds.
Little did we dream that in a half of a century thousands
of people representing the culture and advanced civilization
of the age would tent upon the ground, where the deer and
wolf had held disputed sway, and that the peerless Divine
who had entranced the world, by his eloquence, or that the
inimitable Sam Jones should hold an audience on the banks
of the majestic Illinois.
t,^LJNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA
PIONEERS OF MENARO AND MASON COUNTIES FO
Live Music Archive
Librivox Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Books to Borrow
Open Library
TV News
Understanding 9/11